


icarus.

by honeyglazed



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Bisexual Park Chanyeol, Eventual Smut, Fantasy, Fluff and Angst, Greek Mythology - Freeform, Honorary God Kim Jongin, Loss of Virginity, M/M, Park Chanyeol is Whipped, Playboy Park Chanyeol, Slow Burn, but he's sweet, chanyeol is a space pirate, jongin is basically a prince, jongin with freckles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-03
Updated: 2020-03-01
Packaged: 2020-06-03 04:56:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 29,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19456804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/honeyglazed/pseuds/honeyglazed
Summary: chanyeol was brought to the sun in chains but fell in love with him anyway.





	1. one.

“I gotta say, after everything I’ve heard about this place, I expected more.” Byun Baekhyun, pilot of the Shadow, liked to narrate every moment of his travels with his crew. The other petty thieves that he called teammates learned to tune him out, but since this phrase marked the end of their journey, the four men perked up. “But I guess there’s no turning back now.” He turned to the man on his left who was staring a bit too intently out the sun shield. “What’s on your mind, Cap?”

“Something about this place feels off,” said Park Chanyeol, the leader of the rag tag group of criminals.

“That’s Pluto for you.” Baekhyun tended to go into things without a second thought. “Don’t worry too much about it. We’re only here for a night as our baby gets her beauty sleep.” To further accentuate his point, he slapped his hand against the metal walls of their ship. Noir, as they dubbed it--or her.

Chanyeol wanted to argue, but unfortunately, Baekhyun had a point. Despite his feelings, they just rode a straight trip from Earth to Pluto. It would take more than a handful of hours for their ship to charge to her full power. “Fine.” He unbuckled his seat belt and brushed imaginary dirt off his thighs as he stood up. “Who’s gonna stay back and guard Noir?”

No one dared to meet his eye because all of them knew that if they did, they would be stuck with the less than desirable job. “Would y’all rather I pick?”

Breaking the uncomfortable silence, Kyungsoo, their engineer, released an elongated sigh. “I’ll do it.”

Chanyeol smiled widely. “Great! Message us when she’s at 100% and we’ll be on our way.” He ignored the less than holy curses that left his friend’s mouth as he clapped his back on his way out.

No matter how hard and long he thought back, Chanyeol couldn’t remember ever setting foot on the dwarf planet. He knew why now. Pluto had an odd, almost gross atmosphere. The air was thick, the smell off, and even with his thick leather jacket and jeans, he was cold. Kim Minseok, the third member of Shadow, had the job of formulating escape plans after successful heists. He chose Pluto this time and Chanyeol trusted him no matter how uncomfortable he was.

“Sehun, roughly how much time do we have?”

“Not sure. I don’t think the prince realized his favorite toy is gone yet,” answered their youngest as he stared down at the screen in his hands. “But once he does, they shouldn’t be able to figure out who did this one. Considering you did your job right, Cap.”

“I always do.” Chanyeol flung his arm around Sehun’s shoulder and pulled him close. “Looks like we’ve got the night to ourselves then, boys. Let’s enjoy it.”

The rest of them released cheers and whoops before running toward the hidden oasis Minseok located for them. Cosmic Railway was a cheap, vulgar place that no one with any sort of a respectable reputation would even step foot into. Meaning that it was perfect for Chanyeol and the rest of his crew. The moment they entered, they were bombarded with too loud music and a stew of the worst smells known to man.

“Good job with this one, Minseok.”

“Thanks, I know.” He nudged Chanyeol’s shoulder. “Venusian at 3 o’clock. I’ll see you guys later.” He ran off to go try his luck with the pretty girl. Baekhyun and Sehun soon did the same with their own picks. Chanyeol, on the other hand, wasn’t really feeling it. His friends already called the prettiest people he could spot anyway. 

He made his way towards the bar. With how packed it was, he had no choice but to choose the seat with the cracked red leather right next to a girl on her own. He tried his best to ignore her as he got the bartender’s attention, but then he noticed something different. Chanyeol had been to every corner of the known universe. He’d seen people from every planet, moon, and even the occasional star. Normally, with just one glance, he could tell someone’s race, but this girl… with her golden skin, hair, and eyes looked like nothing he had ever seen before.

Chanyeol had no choice but to try and talk to her.

“Hey,” he said in the most confident but still charming voice he could manage. “You here alone?”

It took the girl a second or two to realize that he was talking to her. The confused expression she wore was cute. “Yeah. You?”

“Same here.” He stuck out his hand. “Chanyeol. Park Chanyeol.” In a normal setting, he would’ve used any name except his real one, but in a place like Cosmic Railway, everyone was a criminal in one way or another. And if these criminals were good at their job, they would know who he was. Who Shadow was. Being at the top of the galaxy’s most wanted list was bound to get him a few points with the ladies.

“My, my.” The woman’s confusion took no time to melt into a sexy sort of confidence. Chanyeol found himself mesmerized in the way her gold lips turned up at the corners and sparkled when light from the dance floor hit them. “This must be my lucky day.” She shook his hand. “I’m Mara.”

Chanyeol took a tight hold of her hand before she got the chance to pull away and pressed his lips against her knuckles. Mara’s cheeks glowed in the dim light and he could only assume that was a blush. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mara. It’s not everyday I see someone so… ethereal.”

She giggled as she toyed with the ends of her glossy hair. “Don’t be ridiculous. You’re quite handsome yourself.”

“So I’m told.” When she didn’t laugh, he had to scramble for what to say next. “But thank you.” Chanyeol never once had a problem with charming an attractive boy or girl. It usually took him one drink, a suggestive smirk, and they were on their way to bed. But something about Mara had him a little flustered. Maybe it was the mystery behind her, but he found himself working twice as hard to impress her. 

“You’re very welcome. So what bri--”

An obnoxiously loud ringing cut her off which she seemed to be rather annoyed about. It took Chanyeol an embarrassingly long time to realize that the sound he was waiting for to stop was in fact, coming from him. “Oh my, I’m sorry, gimme a sec.” He tore his communicator from his pocket and swiveled his back to Mara.

“This better be good,” he growled into the gadget without even having to look at the caller ID.

_ “You need to get out of there,”  _ said Kyungsoo urgently.  _ “Baekhyun, Sehun, and Minseok are already here. Hurry up and get back to the ship!” _

“What the hell are you talking about?” He could only imagine Mara getting bored behind him. It was only a matter of moments before she left his side to find another man that would most likely not stop in the middle of a conversation to pick up a call. “She can’t be charged already.”

_ “She isn’t, you moron. This was all a trap. There are police everywhere and they’re looking for you, Chanyeol.” _

At that, his mouth went completely dry. “Shit.” He hung up the call and turned around to face Mara again. She was pretty, yes, but in no way pretty enough to risk getting arrested. “Hey, I’m really sorr--”

Chanyeol couldn’t count the amount of times he’d looked right into a barrel of a gun on his hands or toes. The good part of all those situations was that he expected them and had a plan on how to get out. This time though, as Mara pointed an incredibly high tech weapon between his eyes, he had no idea what to do. “I--”

“In all honesty, I pegged you as smarter than this, Chanyeol.” He was prepared to fight until he felt something cold against the small of his back. He was surrounded. “Hands up, pretty boy. Let’s not make this any harder than it needs to be.”

Cosmic Railway had fallen into a peculiar silence as the building full of murders and pirates watched strangely uniformed officers handcuff Chanyeol’s hands behind his back. It was almost as if they were debating whether or not to run. The good thing was, as they later found out, was that Mara and her team weren’t there for them. The galaxy’s #1 most wanted criminal could throw themselves at her feet and she’d still have eyes only for Chanyeol.

“Who the hell are you?” he grunted, half heartedly struggling against the man pulling him up and out of his seat. He was as odd looking as Mara was. All of the officers were. They glittered like the sun itself and donned uniforms unlike anything he’d ever seen before. And coming from Chanyeol, a man who had been arrested over a hundred times, that meant a lot.

Mara took in his question with a cocky smile before snapping her fingers. “Get him walking. We don’t have much time until these dimwits realize what’s going on.”

“You didn’t answer my question,” Chanyeol growled as another man joined his side, pulling him along with a tight hold on his arm. By the way they were treating him, you’d think he kidnapped the Earth Prince instead of taking his crown, which he had no problem returning if it got him out of handcuffs. “Who are you?”

“I’m disappointed that you haven’t figured it out by now, but…” she slipped her hand into the neckline of her shirt, pulling out a heavily bedazzled medallion. Chanyeol recognized the sun created by copper and yellow crystals right away. “I’ll give you a clue.”

Not many things scared Chanyeol anymore. He had seen far too much to feel such a pointless emotion, but that necklace… that alone was enough to make his stomach tighten. “You’re a priestess of Apollo.”

Mara hummed as two of her men rushed ahead to hold the door open for her, their heads bowed. “Pretty boy’s got at least half of a brain.” She twirled around to stand in front of him. The cold air blew her hair around her face, barely messing up her good looks. The more he saw of her, the more Chanyeol mentally cursed himself for not pegging her as a celestial being the moment he saw her. “Where’s the rest of your crew?”

“Like I’d tell you.”

She smirked. “I know they didn’t leave without their Captain. One of these ships is yours and I think I’ve got a pretty good guess. The big, ugly black one, right?”

Chanyeol’s hands curled into fists. If it wasn’t for the damn handcuffs, he’d have knocked that smile right off her pretty face. “You can do whatever you want to me, but don’t you fucking dare hurt them.”

“Oh don’t go all hero on me. They don’t matter to me like you do.” She moved from side to side, her neck craned at odd angles as she surveyed every parked ship. Noir was parked a stone’s throw away from them so Chanyeol knew she was just playing with him, building up his anxiety. “Tell me, if you were to tell them to leave you behind, would they?”

“As their leader, I like to think my word means something.”

Mara chuckled and if sparkles had a sound, it would sound like that. “Then do it. Tell them to leave.”

“And how do you expect me to do that?” To accentuate his bound hands, he shrugged his shoulders.

As if she didn’t realize the situation before, she pursed her lips. “Well they’re watching us right now, aren’t they? Waiting for your signal to attack.” True to her word, he could see Baekhyun, Sehun, Kyungsoo, and Minseok pressed up against Noir’s sun shield. Whether or not they knew how obvious they were, he didn’t know. Either way, he was disappointed. “Just do the opposite.”

Chanyeol could sense the threat that Mara left unsaid. If he didn’t tell them to leave, she’d make sure they never would. Disappointed or not, he’d do anything to ensure their safety.

Even if that meant screwing his own.

It took a handful of seconds and an intense stare to catch Baekhyun’s attention. Even with the distance, he saw the worry and fear. None of them were prepared for this day. They had gotten used to the narrative in which they never got caught.  _ “Go,”  _ he mouthed.

Baekhyun shook his head as if to say,  _ “not without you.” _

Chanyeol frowned. He wondered if he asked Mara for just five minutes with his team, would she give it? Something was telling him that once he got on his ship, he wouldn’t see his makeshift family. He didn’t want his last interaction with them to be one where he couldn’t even hear their voices.

“We don’t have forever, pretty boy.”

That was enough to answer his question. Chanyeol directed his attention back to Baekhyun and cocked his head toward Pluto’s clearly marked exit. For a moment, his friend just stood still and Chanyeol feared he didn’t make his signal clear enough. 

“Chanyeol--”

“Just give it a minute, will you?” Chanyeol snapped. If not for the tears gathering in his eyes, he would’ve appreciated the way Mara reeled back. 

Kyungsoo stepped into view and placed his hand on Baekhyun’s shoulder. Chanyeol didn’t have to hear him to know that he was telling him to listen, no matter how much it hurt. He could always count on Kyungsoo to be the voice of reason in tough times. “They’re leaving,” he uttered, hoping the despair wasn’t too obvious on his voice. 

Noir’s engine fired up, heating up the air around them and forcing Chanyeol to hide his face in his shoulders. At least now he could freely cry and simply blame it on the harsh winds. When he finally unstuck himself, Noir was a dot getting smaller and smaller. Though he couldn’t see them, he could feel four pairs of watery eyes on him. Oh how he wished he was given the chance for a proper goodbye. Chanyeol was almost one hundred percent positive that if he really tried, he could fit them all in a hug at once.

And if he couldn’t hug them, the opportunity to say how much he loved them would’ve been more than enough. Shadow changed his life for the better. Anyone could make the argument that criminals could never be happy or satisfied, but it gave him, a young orphan living in the slums of some unknown Earthen town, a family. A purpose. If Baekhyun, Kyungsoo, Minseok, or Sehun were at his side right then, he would have absolutely no fear as Mara directed an impossibly large craft from the sky to the ground.

“You needn’t worry anymore. You have my word that they’re safe… as long as you behave, that is.” The same crest that adorned her medallion was painted on the side of the stark white ship. At such a size, it was far more imposing. Chanyeol inhaled until his lungs burned to try and distract himself from the fact that he was so very,  _ very  _ fucked.


	2. two.

The sun was not hard to find. For a large, blazing star that everyone saw throughout half their day, Mara treated it like a hidden city. They sat Chanyeol down, sandwiching him between the same burly guards, and placed a thick black sack over his head. So the hours long trip was boring, to say the least. The idea of fucking around with Mara a little crossed his mind once or twice, but their destination always made him forget it.

One perk of the elaborate blindfold was that Chanyeol could catch up on his sleep and those around him would be none the wiser. By the time he felt himself getting hauled up by his arms, he was far too well rested to even be angry about it. He almost forgot where he was until the bag was swiftly torn from his head.

“Wakey, wakey, pretty boy.”

His eyes were barely open a sliver when they were so viciously assaulted by the bright lights of the outside world. These weren’t any normal lights either. Chanyeol’s walked the surface of Mercury with nothing more than a pair of Earthen Ray Bans but this… this was something else entirely. He was worried his ability to see would be taken away if he dared to open his eyes again. 

“C’mon, don’t chicken out now.” Mara’s cold yet soft hands grasped either side of his face. She was close. Too close. Her sweet perfume was so close that he could almost taste the Hecate’s Lilies it was based off of. “It’ll only hurt for a second.”

Though it was out of character for her to be comforting, he listened. Chanyeol cracked his eyes open just a bit and let in the light bit by bit. Mara was right. It hurt for only a second but it was one  _ hell  _ of a second. By the time he was seeing clearly, tears ran down his face in rivers. “See?” Mara laughed, her fist pressed against her lips. “Not bad at all.”

Chanyeol used his shoulders to wipe the tears to the best of his ability, but it would be simply amazing if they could just take the handcuffs off. Even if he was to try and escape, he wouldn’t get too far. The sun was made unnavigable to deter attacks and assassination attempts. He would be caught the moment he tried to run. “Where are we?”

“At the base of the Temple of Apollo.” As she spoke, she unlaced her heels and placed them at the base of a tall golden staircase. It was the only thing he could see for miles and even then, the top was far out of his vision. Even in his wildest imagination, he never would’ve guessed the inside of the sun to be so… calm. “Take off your shoes. You’re approaching holy ground.”

“You’ve yet again forgotten that I’m  _ handcuffed. _ ”

Mara, for some reason, looked like this was news to her. “Oluo, undo Mr. Park’s shoes, please.”

The man to Chanyeol’s right wasted no time in dropping to his knees and pulled at the laces and zippers of his combat boots. “Wouldn’t be great if I could--I don’t know--do this myself?”

“It would, but…” Mara shrugged. “It’s fun to watch you struggle.”

Oluo coaxed Chanyeol’s legs up, one before the other, and pulled his boots off before throwing them to the side rather carelessly. To say the whole action made the both of them uncomfortable would be an understatement. Having a strange and masked man remove his shoes wasn’t exactly a fantasy of Chanyeol’s. 

“How long does it take to get up those stairs?”

“Running? About ten minutes.” Mara took a couple of steps back and craned her head up. “Walking? Maybe thirty.”

“You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

“Mhm?”

“All these blessings from the gods and an elevator didn’t pass your mind  _ once? _ ”

“Oh stop complaining.” Mara slapped her palm against his stomach a lot harder that what Chanyeol thought she meant to do. “You look like you’re in good enough shape.”

Chanyeol scoffed. “You’re cute.” He took the initiative of taking the first step. Mara’s been right about everything since the start so if she said the stairs took half an hour to complete, he might as well get started. 

“Thanks, I know.” Mara jogged a few steps ahead of him. “Oluo, Gunter, Eren, Jean, you four go ahead and alert the others of our arrival. Chanyeol and I are going to take our time, maybe discuss a few things along the way.”

“Madam--”

“That’s an order, Oluo. Now go.”

The guard seemingly glared at Chanyeol through the grooves of his helmet but he took off up the stairs anyway, quickly trailed by the other four. “You’re no normal priestess, are you?” 

“I like to think so,” she giggled. “The Vilicus herself chose me to manage all her affairs that require travel outside the Temple. Up until now, that meant nothing.”

“Ah.” Chanyeol chewed on his bottom lip. “So I guess that means I’m getting an audience with the Vilicus.”

“In a way.” Mara shrugged. “You’ll only see her if you fuck up catostrophically. Until then, I’ll be surveying and instructing you.”

The Temple of Apollo was a structure erected by the gods themselves during the creation of life. It housed special beings that were basically charged with the task of doing the gods’ work for them. These special beings were priestesses like Mara, their servants like Oluo, and of course, the Vilicus: Overseer of the Galaxy. Everyone in the temple worked for and under them. No one outside the sun really knew if the Vilicus was real or not but more than half of the living population would lay down their lives for whoever held the title.

Chanyeol was not one of those people.

Earth, his home planet, was in the worst state it had ever been in. People were killing each other, the environment, and more. The second he could, Chanyeol fled. It was an apocalyptic nightmare there. If a divine being such as the Vilicus lent their resources or knowledge, everything could be alright again. But… the problems seemed to be below them because no help had been offered. Whoever sat on that throne was probably content watching as the humans killed off not only themselves but their home as well. 

“Did she ever mention what she wanted me for?”

“Of course she did,” Mara dead-panned. “I would’ve told you earlier but I just wanted to make sure no one overheard us.” Just to be precautious, she turned her head from side to side to confirm they were alone. “A Vilicus rules for a century or two on average before passing their title onto whoever they deem fit. The current Vilicus has kept her throne for a record four centuries, but… she’s growing tired.” She clutched her wrists and played with the thick copper bangles. “She has two options for her successor. Her son and her elder brother. And under no circumstances must the title go to the latter.”

“That seems like an easy decision, doesn’t it? Why can’t she just give it to her son?”

Mara pursed her lips. “He’s not… well-liked, to put it simply.” 

“What does that mean?”

“Jongin is a sweet boy. He’s kind and beautiful and funny but… he tends to not know when to shut up.” Mara’s molten eyes glazed over with an unnameable emotion. “Over the years he’s thrown out his opinion one too many times and it’s often been unpopular.”

“How so?”

Mara sighed. “It’s honestly never been anything big. It’s the Court that’s the problem.”

“What’s the Court?”

“I was getting there.” Mara played with the golden band on her pretty ring finger, sliding it up and down. Chanyeol nailed it as a nervous tick right away. “The Court is a group of officials whose ancestors were chosen by the very first Vilicus. Normally she doesn’t have to listen to them but when it comes to her successor… it  _ helps  _ to be liked. Every single one of them have a stick up their assess. The only person they let disagree with them is the Vilicus herself. Even then they often throw hissy fits when it happens.”

“Sounds like a new Court is needed.”

“If only it were that simple,” Mara grunted. “Jongin wants that, his uncle doesn’t. And even if Jongin is the one his mother appoints, the new Court has to be twelve people with ichor in their blood.”

“I have no idea what anything you just said meant.”

“I’m sorry. I guess I’m going too fast,” she tittered wryly. “Ichor is the blood of the gods. In case the Vilicus ever failed at their job, they scattered people with drops of it in their blood across the known universe. Only those with the mix can step inside the temple. The problem here is that you, Chanyeol, are the only person that we could find in our years and  _ years  _ of searching.”

_ “What?” _

Mara rolled her eyes. “Maybe I’m not going too fast. Maybe you’re just slow.” 

“No, i-i-it’s just that…” Chanyeol could barely understand his own thoughts at the moment. While everything Mara was saying seemed more and more like one of Baekhyun’s elaborate pranks as time passed, Chanyeol simply couldn’t grasp the simple idea of having the blood of the gods in his own. He mainly didn’t want it. Why would he want a part of the gods that forsook him and his fellow humans inside him? “You have to be mistaken. I’m no different than anyone out there.”

“From the outside, you are, but it’s what’s inside you that matters, Chanyeol. If we can get you on the Court, we can turn the tables in Jongin’s favor.”

It sounded like a huge task for someone that couldn’t care less. “What happens if I refuse?”

“You walk free,” Mara said casually. “But your friends will spend the rest of their lives in an Earthen jail.”

Chanyeol’s head snapped up as his heart skipped a beat. “Wh--”

“The prince wants his crown back and he’s not happy about it being taken in the first place. Right now, the only thing standing between your friends and Earth’s fleets are our own.”

“You’re awful.”

Mara simpered. “Getting Jongin on that throne will benefit not only you but them as well. In more ways than one. So… what do you say?”

The choice was obvious because there really wasn’t any other options. Chanyeol may not see his friends again, but he was still a part of Shadow. He was still their Captain. He would do what it took to protect them. “Fine, I guess.”

“Really?” Mara appeared far too surprised by his agreement with her wide eyes and smile. “Apollo, this is amazing!” She snapped her fingers and before the sound registered in Chanyeol’s brain, the solid gold steps below his feet were replaced by plush grass that tickled his ankles.

“What the…”

“I’m so happy you agreed. I thought we would be walking forever.”

Tuning her out, Chanyeol turned himself in a circle, taking in the surroundings. They were in a garden of some sort. There were miles and miles of grass, gargantuan trees, and a variety of flowers in colors and styles that Chanyeol never knew existed. The sky was painted a beautiful ombre of shades of pink, purple, and orange. A never ending sunset except… no sun. He took a small step forward and his shoe sunk into the fertile ground just slightly.

“This can’t be real.” If he didn’t feel like he was walking around in a lucid dream, the fact that Mara tricked him with the staircase would’ve had steam coming out of his ears.

“You better believe it.” Mara chirped. Her hair freed itself from its ponytail as she smoothed her hands down the length of it. Her beautiful, golden locks now rested on her shoulders in full bodied curls. She switched out her tight red dress for what Chanyeol thought was a toga that bared her shoulders, cinched at her waist, and had a slit running from her upper thigh to her feet. That was a witch, if he ever saw one. “This is the real deal, pretty boy.”

“Holy hell…”

“Like what you see?”

A little too much, actually. Chanyeol was seconds away from drooling. “Stuff it.” To hide his quickly heating cheeks, he turned away, opting to stare at the bird that perched on the tree in front of him. With its silver feathers, it was the best distraction he could ask for. “What is this place?”

“Persephone’s Garden. A gift for Jongin’s eleventh birthday.” As Mara talked and walked, she adorned her body with crystal jewelry. Bands slid up her arms and strings of the precious metal hung from her ears.

“But why does it look so much like Earth?”

“The young heir has taken quite a liking to your planet. Only the gods know why, but…” Mara shrugged as she trailed off. “He even changed the majority of his appearance to look like your kind. The other priestesses and I find it charming, but the Court hates it.”

“And here I thought there was no one on our side.”

Mara’s glowing smile faltered. “The Temple’s lack of interjection in the troubles of Earth has been problematic here for centuries. You have my word that if you do your job properly, your home will praise you for it.”

Chanyeol didn’t remember talking to Mara about his problem with the Vilicus and her lackies so her reading of just a few words was impressive and surprisingly sympathetic. He didn’t know her, he didn’t know what sort of power she held, but he sensed truth in her statement. It was a relief to his long heavy heart. 

“I’ll hold you to that.”

Mara nodded her head, her curls bouncing in tandem. “If you’re ready, I can take you to meet Jongin now.”

Strangely unafraid, Chanyeol agreed with a bob of his head. “I’d like that.” Mara snapped her fingers once more, trading grass for… more grass. “Damn.” He expected more.

“Well time to turn on the charm.” Mara side stepped away from him. “And just a suggestion, none of that cocky shit from the bar.”

Despite being blatantly insulted, Chanyeol settled on scanning his surroundings for the mysterious Jongin. He would never let Mara know, but he was actually really curious on just about everything concerning the boy. After all, he was the one Chanyeol was giving up his freedom and putting his friends on the line for. He had higher than high expectations. 

But… the harder he looked, the more apparent the overwhelming green of the garden became. Besides him, Mara, and the faint outline of a gaggle of guards in the distance, there was nothing. No being that struck him as the son of an honorary god.

“Look up,” Mara whispered, sensing his confusion.

Chanyeol did so with little hesitation. He craned his neck as far as he could, squinting a little until his eyes adjusted to the light that had no clear source. Once everything cleared up, he spotted a swing just floating far above his head. The seat was simply wood but the ropes were green vines decorated by dainty purple blossoms. Nothing about it seemed plausible, but a person was riding it lazily nonetheless. Though he could only see his legs, Chanyeol knew that to be Jongin.

“Jongin!” Mara called out loudly, snapping him from his thoughtful daze. “It’s Mara! Come down, I brought a guest.” There was no indicator whether she was heard or not, but she looked plenty confident as she pushed Chanyeol back. “Boys.” She directed this one to the group of guards. “Get ready.”

Chanyeol was confused for barely a second until he heard the creaking of old hinges and the anxious scamper of heavy boots against dirt. Jongin let himself slip backwards off the seat. His body was limp as he hurtled towards the ground like he didn’t fear the idea of his bones cracking.

“I got him!” One guard yelled, running to stand directly beneath the swing. When the rest of his companions caught up, they all shuffled around the same general area, their eyes trained up as they shouted the same words again and again. It was almost comical.

Jongin finally fell into the arms of the guard that claimed him first. 

“Good try, everyone!” Mara’s desire to laugh bled through her words. “You’re all dismissed, thank you.”

The guard gently set Jongin on his feet as if he was made of glass before stumbling off. “You’re back sooner than I thought you’d be.”

“I’m nothing if not efficient.”

Jongin came to stand at Mara’s side, sliding an arm around her slim waist. “Who might you be?”

The question couldn’t have been directed to anyone except Chanyeol, but the thief just stood there dumbly. He had few weak points thanks to his life on the streets, but he was admittedly susceptible to pretty things. If Mara was dangerous, Jongin was downright lethal. 

“Does he… talk?”

“Unfortunately. He’s just an idiot.” Mara waved her hand in front of Chanyeol’s face. “Hey! You’re drooling.”

Chanyeol channeled her out. He didn’t care that he looked like a moron, he wanted to stare at Jongin for only a little more. There was so much about him to absorb from his glittering skin to his alabaster hair. “I… I--um…”

“Apollo, I’ll just do it myself.” It pained Mara to even look at Chanyeol’s face so she turned to Jongin. “This is Chanyeol. He’s the one you requested.”

“He actually agreed?”

“Thankfully so.”

Jongin’s face split with a gorgeous, toothy smile. He, like Mara was initially, looked surprised. Something told Chanyeol that they failed to plan this well. “Does my mother know he’s here?”

“If she doesn’t already, I’ll have a guard inform her.”

“And my uncle?”

“None the wiser.”

Jongin spared another glance at Chanyeol from the corner of his eye and pursed his pretty, gold painted lips. “In that case, you’re dismissed, Mara. I think I want to talk to him.”

“Whatever you want.” She acknowledged Chanyeol once more with a two fingered salute before disappearing into thin air.

That was enough to break Chanyeol from his stupid trance. “Wha...”

“So he speaks.” Jongin dragged his copper eyes from Chanyeol’s head to toe, judging. In the presence of such an ethereal being, he felt inferior in his grubby leather jacket, worn jeans, and beat up boots. He should’ve asked Mara for a change of clothes the moment he saw hers appear out of nowhere. 

“You don’t have to be scared of me,” Jongin said after yet another period of uncomfortable silence. “I hope Mara already told you that I don’t plan on causing you any harm.”

Scared was far from the word Chanyeol would use. Something like “completely and utterly stunned” would fit better. Though beautiful, Jongin looked like he would struggle to hurt a fly. 

“I-I… she did. I’m sorry, I’m just not… used to people like you.”

“People like me?”

Chanyeol nodded. “People like you.”

Jongin laughed softly. “I was afraid this would happen.” He began to pull the golden barrettes from his hair and the dangly earring that hung from his right ear. “I don’t want you to feel as if you’re below anyone here. Despite your different upbringing, the gods still chose you, so please, don’t be scared.”

The difference between the way Mara and Jongin spoke was painfully apparent. Where she was brash and quick witted, he was soft and sweet. Chanyeol found himself struggling to believe that anyone could ever dislike him. “This has to be some sort of joke,” he muttered, more to himself than Jongin.

“Oh, I can assure you that this is far from a joke. I don’t think I’ve ever been so serious in my life.”

“That’s not--that’s not what I meant.” Chanyeol inhaled deeply as a means to collect himself. He already made himself look like a fool one too many times. If he could get a single sentence together without stumbling, he’d be proud of himself. “It’s just that Mara told me I was here to get you to be… liked better, but I, truthfully, find you…” Beautiful, amazing, godlike, but those weren’t first time encounter sort of words, were they?

“Find me?” Jongin’s lips were begging him to let them smile, but the only thing in their way was Chanyeol’s dignity.”

“Um… alright?”

Jongin had no problem frowning. “You find me… alright?”

Though Chanyeol knew how stupid and plain it sounded, he was afraid that if he let himself get too comfortable, he’d start spilling more than he needed to. “Yeah. You’re pretty chill.”

Jongin scoffed, muttering “pretty cool” under his breath in disbelief. “Of all the chosen ones, I get an idiot.” He pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned, all thoughts of “equality” between him and Chanyeol completely gone.

“I’m sorry?” With every word he spoke, Chanyeol hated himself more. He never had problems talking to people! He’d charmed a  _ Venusian  _ into bed before and she had been pretty close to Jongin on the scale of looks. “I mean… I didn’t exactly ask to be this “chosen one” or whatever.”

“This is not a “whatever” situation!” Jongin’s voice was different agitated. It held more of a spark than the twinkle he had before. “Do you know what will happen if you fuck up and my uncle gets the throne?”

“Um… you’re left out of a job?”

For a few seconds, Jongin stood there, just staring at Chanyeol with his mouth gaping. “For Apollo’s sake.” He gave himself a break and turned away. “My uncle is a power hungry tyrant hell bent on extending our kingdom into the nine planets. If I were you, I’d start taking your job a little more seriously.”

Well this was news to Chanyeol. In a way, he understood Jongin’s frustration, but in another way, it was irrational. It wasn’t Chanyeol’s fault he didn’t know the stakes of all this! He wasn’t raised on the sun and knowledge of the ruling family wasn’t exactly common. Both Mara and Jongin looked down on him simply because he wasn’t educated on a subject that couldn’t be taught. He was so caught up in the disrespect that he barely noticed the faint threat of an intergalactic coup. 

“Okay, I’m going to be honest here, I don’t even know what the hell my job  _ entails _ . Instead of yelling, I’d appreciate you maybe, I don’t know,  _ telling  _ me what you want to do?” Chanyeol realized that he spoke way too soon. Jongin, once his temper ran out, was rather unpleasant to be around. “I don’t want your uncle doing… whatever he wants to do either, but I can’t do shit about it at the moment.”

Jongin’s jaw flexed, an insult dying to be hurled behind his clenched teeth. When he sighed slowly, Chanyeol knew his words worked. “I’m sorry, you’re right.” He ran a hand through his fluffy hair only for it to fall right back into place. “I owe you a thank you for agreeing to this, and a tour if you’re willing?”

The Temple of Apollo was supposed to be so beautiful that rumors said a simple glance at the golden walls would turn a mortal to ash. Chanyeol wasn’t about to pass up that opportunity. “Okay.” He was excited, but he couldn’t let Jongin see it yet. He was still angry.

“Alright, before we go, let’s go over some ground rules. Don’t talk to anyone unless I give you permission and don’t wander off under any circumstances. I’ll show you your room at the end of all this and you’re not to leave it unless you’re with me. Understood?”

“Understood, mom.”

Jongin rolled his eyes. “Earthens.”


	3. three.

Chanyeol considered himself to be in good shape. All the heists he pulled off required sprinting, flexibility, and carrying a lot of heavy shit. The looks he got when his bed partners first pulled off his shirt was enough motivation to watch what he ate as well, but after five hours walking around the Temple with Jongin, he could barely carry his own weight. Maybe it was the difference from the air he was used to breathing or Jongin’s endless blabbering. Either way, he was counting the seconds until he was introduced to his bed instead of listening.

“Exactly how big is this place, anyway?”

“It’s infinite.”

“Pardon?”

Jongin shifted his weight to one side like this conversation was far more boring than the hundreds of useless facts about the Temple he had just been spouting. “If there’s a room we want to be in, we snap our fingers and it’ll be there.”

Chanyeol frowned. “And we’ve been walking for the past half hour?”

“I thought you’d appreciate it.”

Chanyeol threw his head back in a groan, startling Jongin. Sure, the temple was pretty but there was only so many golden walls and statues of Apollo in the nude that one person could take! “Can we just end this now? I’m tired.”

“That’s cute.” Jongin gave Chanyeol a smile similar to one a mother would give her foolish child. “Too bad you signed up for a job that comes with plenty of sleepless nights. If you’re tired, I’d get used to it.”

“I didn’t sign up for this,” Chanyeol grumped.

“Pardon?”

“Nothing.” Chanyeol blew air into his cheeks. He never should’ve made friends. That way, he could walk right out of the Temple without looking back. “How much longer is this going to take?”

“As long as I want to.”

“I’m seriously about to collapse.”

Jongin’s lips thinned as he scanned Chanyeol from head to toe. He sighed after supposedly finding what he was searching for. “Fine.” He snapped his fingers, replacing royal blue carpet with marble tiles. Once Chanyeol’s eyesight came into focus, he was relieved to find himself in a bedroom. An exquisite one, at all. It could’ve held Noir in her entirety with space to spare.

“Is this mine?”

“If it’s up to your standards.” Jongin cocked his chin towards the canopied bed behind them while crossing his arms. “You can rest, but know that if you do, I’ll respect you less.”

Chanyeol looked from the bed to Jongin’s raised eyebrow and then back again. The decision was easy. “I’ll take that risk.” He started to back away, unable to keep the smile on his face from growing. It felt a little more than good to watch the irritation mar Jongin’s heavenly features. “I mean, after all, you need my respect more than I need yours… right?”

The annoyance in Jongin’s eyes was far less threatening than it should be while encased in warm honey. Chanyeol was right and the both of them knew it--no matter how much it hurt one of them to admit. 

“You’re such a child.”

Chanyeol had heard worse. The words flew over his head as he whipped the thick wine colored curtains away from the bed and dove into the canary comforter. “Please close the door on your way out.” He couldn’t see Jongin’s face but he still knew of the delicious disdain it held. 

“Don’t leave until I come to get you,” Jongin mumbled through his teeth. “You’ve got a bathroom if you need it as well as a change of clothes. If you’re hungry or feel a little cooped up… deal with it.”

Chanyeol awoke to the sound of chirping birds, a babbling fountain, and the silhouette of another being on the other side of his bed’s canopy. Like fire was lit at his feet, Chanyeol scrambled up. “Jongin?”

No answer. No movement. Chanyeol frowned. Situations like this weren’t anything new, but he wasn’t armed. He was pretty skilled in hand to hand combat but he wasn’t so sure he could best someone blessed by the Gods in a fight.

“M… Mara?”

Again, no reply came, but the figure began to move. Chanyeol found himself backing as far away from them as he could. They found the entrance of the curtain and slid it open. An unfamiliar male face stared back at him. He was older with the beginnings of grey in his hair and neatly trimmed beard, but nothing about him struck Chanyeol as remarkable like when he first saw Mara or Jongin. The man’s skin was olive, his eyes brown. His first thought was maybe he was face to face with a fellow Earthen.

“H-Hello?”

“Who are you?”

His voice was a mallet against a drum. Low, ominous, resounding. “I’m… my name is Chanyeol.” The introduction shocked even him as it came out. Chanyeol was never one to give away his identity to strangers that could pose a threat. And if he did, he didn’t give it away so easily with no benefit in sight.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

Considering this was his room, Chanyeol felt as if those questions belonged in his mouth. “Um… I know Jongin.” The thought of calling himself a ‘friend’ crossed his mind, but he decided it was too early for that. If the change of title cost him his life, it would’ve been worth it. 

“You don’t belong here.”

Chanyeol didn’t know how to respond to that. They just stared at each other except Chanyeol felt as if he was being studied like a specimen in a glass case. “Maybe. Who are you?”

“I don’t answer to outsiders.” The first sign of emotion crossed the man’s face, and it was displeasure. “Then again, you couldn’t get in here without an escort. Who brought you here?”

Chanyeol didn’t want to give this man any answers, but they were rolling off his tongue before his brain even registered them. “Mara on account of Jongin.”

The stranger’s face darkened. “That bitch.”

“Excuse me?”

Ignoring him, the man snapped his fingers twice and stood still for a few moments. Like magic, Jongin was suddenly standing in between the two of them. He was extremely unhappy, but Chanyeol was distracted by how beautiful he looked in his silk bathrobe and damp hair. 

“Jongin,” the man said in a chastising tone. “What the hell is going on?”

Jongin’s jaw flexed in a repressed outburst. “Nothing you were supposed to find out about so soon.” At the end of his sentence, he turned to throw Chanyeol a dirty look like it was  _ his _ fault a man forced himself into his room while he was sleeping. “I’d suggest forgetting about it, Uncle Beom. I’m sure you have better things than a pesky human to worry about.”

So this was Jongin’s infamous uncle. Chanyeol never would’ve guessed it in a million years. In comparison to his mental image of the Vilicus and Jongin, he was almost ugly. 

“Don’t get smart with me now, brat. Tell me what’s going on before my patience runs out.” At least anger showed through better on him. Jongin gave in without a fight, his shoulders slumping.

“He’s… he’s m-my whore.”

Surprised, Chanyeol choked on nothing and began to violently hack. Beom stared at him in disgust while Jongin rolled his eyes. “Is that so?”

“I have no reason to lie to you.”

The uncle paused for a second so he could survey Chanyeol in the new light. He seemed as if he didn’t totally believe Jongin but arguing took far too much energy. “Interesting choice. I assume he’s better in bed than in conversation?”

“I think it’s time you leave.”

Beom spared one last glance at Chanyeol’s crumpled and recovering frame, his nose scrunched. “Clean yourself up and we’ll talk about this more. For your own sake, I hope you’re not lying to me.”

Chanyeol forced himself to sit up straight and watched Beom saunter out. “Your  _ whore? _ ” He croaked once the door closed. “What the actual fuck?”

“Oh shut up, I panicked!” Jongin ran a hand through his damp hair and tightened his fist in it. “This isn’t good. Hades, this isn’t good at all. How did he find out you were here?”

“Probably in the middle of our, I don’t know,  _ six hour tour! _ ” Chanyeol scooted closer to the edge of the bed and let his legs hang off. 

“I hid you. I swear I hid you.”

Chanyeol pretended to know what that meant and continued with another suggestion, “maybe one of the priestesses snitched.”

“So far, Mara, her guards, and my mother are the only people who know about you and they’d never do that to me.”

Chanyeol didn’t know what made him care enough to share Jongin’s desperation. Maybe it was the slight shame in his current title of a whore. “Wasn’t the whole point of me being here is getting me on the Court to overthrow your uncle? This whole ‘whore’ thing is going to fuck things up, I hope you know that.”

“I  _ realize.  _ I just… I couldn’t let my uncle know your true purpose before I made sure he couldn’t hurt you. And now I… now I screwed things up.” Jongin planted himself on the bed next to Chanyeol and dropped his head into his hands. “Years of planning,” he muttered. “Years of planning right down the drain.”

In such close proximity, Chanyeol took notice of how pleasant Jongin smelled. Like cinnamon and apples. A very Earthen scent. “It’s, um, it’s okay.”

“If you’re going to half ass this, don’t even try it.”

Chanyeol had half a mind to let Jongin wallow in his own misery, but for the sake of his own dignity, he pushed forward. “We’ll get through this.”

“How?”

That was a good question. “Remember how your uncle wants to talk later? Use that time to clear things up.”

“I can’t go back on what I said. It’ll make things all the more suspicious. Even if I do get the seal to protect you in time, it won’t help the fact that I labelled you a  _ whore.  _ My whore, nonetheless.”

Chanyeol was finding more and more sting in that word the more he heard it out loud. “I mean… is there any rule against a w-whore being on the Court? Last I checked, all I needed was ichor in my blood.”

Jongin froze. “... yeah.”

“I’ll probably have to work a little harder than before, but with you and Mara’s help, I think I can do it.”

“A lot harder.”

“I can do that.” Chanyeol’s brain was screaming at him to shut up. He was signing himself up for something much harder and most likely more dangerous than before for someone he barely knew! “A whore’s going to get you on that throne, Jongin. Mark my words.”

Jongin slowly lifted his head, revealing the pretty tears gathered in the corners of his eyes. Despite them, the corners of his lips turned up. “Maybe letting you take that nap was a good idea.”

Chanyeol laughed even though there was no punchline. Mara should’ve mentioned how easily Jongin grows on you. It was almost dangerous how much power the need to see the slight dimples on his freckled cheeks held. 

“Yeah, maybe.” Silence rested between them, but it was welcomed… until Chanyeol thought of another question. “I don’t know if nice is the right word, but your uncle doesn’t seem evil.”

“The more you know him, the more apparent it becomes. He’s… he’s got major anger issues and likes taking it out on others. I’ll take you with me when I go talk to him, just so you can see for yourself.”

“I’m ecstatic.”

“As you should be.” Jongin chuckled, swinging his bare legs against the side of his bed. “I need to go put some clothes on, but thank… thank you for being better at this than I am.”

“No problem, I work well under pressure.”

“Mhm.” Jongin stood up swiftly and adjusted his robe before Chanyeol could catch a glimpse. He bent at the waist to cup Chanyeol’s face in one hand. The skinship was unexpected considering Jongin seemed to hate him before, but it was definitely not unwelcome. His hands were baby soft and warm. Even the cool sensation of the rings on his fingers didn’t take away from the care in the hold. “I’ll be back soon and wear something nice.” His plump lips brushed the shell of Chanyeol’s ear. He could feel every word. “I can’t have my whores walking around looking anything less than pretty, right?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> follow me on twitter: @honeyglazeddd


	4. four.

When Jongin said he was leaving to get dressed, Chanyeol expected to be waiting for an hour, tops, but as three turned into four, he knew he massively underestimated the boy. He laid sprawled on the bed, dressed in a black turtleneck and plaid pants he found in the closet. It was by far some of the nicest fashion he had ever touched, and as each second passed, he felt more and more out of place in it. The leather jacket he donned before had been with him since it touched the back of his knees, but he just  _ knew  _ the moment Jongin saw it, he’d be nagging for at least ten minutes.

The idea of leaving the room and searching for Jongin on his own crossed Chanyeol’s mind a few more times than once, but the thought of maybe running into Beom scared him enough not to. It wasn’t like the man himself was scary, it was just his demeanor. Though he struck Chanyeol as nothing more than an average human, there was unbridled power in only his fingers. He, as a whole, was a man that demanded respect.

Chanyeol had no damn idea on how he was supposed to turn the favor of the Court from him to Jongin. Especially with this dumb new ‘whore’ title. 

Don’t get Chanyeol wrong either. He was friends with  _ countless  _ prostitutes. He would most likely be six feet underground already if it wasn’t for some of them, but… the lack of respect they got from the general public couldn’t be argued. Chanyeol also had a sneaking suspicion that everyone on the Court had a huge stick up their ass.

To say Jongin fucked up big time was an understatement. Chanyeol had never seen someone act so horribly and irrationally under pressure. Considering he was on a team with Do Kyungsoo, that meant a whole lot. Jongin seemed strong most of the time, but when it came to answering a question from his uncle, his ears go red and his mouth moves faster than his brain.

In a moment of pity, Chanyeol told him it was okay, but in all honesty… he didn’t know. He’d try, of course, but if he failed, that wouldn’t be his fault. He could easily blame Beom’s siege of the entire galaxy on Jongin and never feel bad about it.

“Chanyeol?.”

At the sound of a familiar voice, Chanyeol bolted up. He was a bit happier than he’d like to admit to see who he saw at the door.

“Mara!”

“Hey, pretty boy.” She changed her outfit from a toga to a tight black dress similar to the one he first saw her in. Mara definitely knew how good she looked and the way her dress hugged every curve in the right ways. “You clean up well.”

Chanyeol rose to his feet, suppressing the strange urge to hug her. “What’s with the dress?”

Mara glanced down at her body as if reminded herself of what was on it. “Oh yeah. The priestesses dress up as Earthens to piss of Beom. The togas are strictly for the Vilicus and Jongin only.”

“Interesting. You look good.”

“I know.”

Chanyeol smiled. He missed her. “Why are you here?”

“Jongin’s still getting ready so he asked me to take you to him.”

“How the hell is he  _ still  _ not ready?”

Mara shrugged. “Perfection takes time, pretty boy. Not all of us are blessed with your boyish charm.”

Chanyeol scoffed. “Jongin’s pretty blessed, if you ask me.”

She smirked. “So you like him.” Wordlessly, she pushed herself off the doorframe and began to walk away. Catching on, Chanyeol jogged a little to catch up with her. 

“He’s fine, I guess.”

“Just fine?”

If she wanted more, he could give her more. “Well… he’s fucking gorgeous. Is that what you want?”

Mara shook her head. “I mean, you’re not  _ wrong,”  _ she paused, “but I suggest paying more attention to him as a person if you hope to do your job well.”

“Oh I’ve done that too.”

“And what are your findings?”

“Naggy, annoying, awkward, but… he grows on you.”

Mara blew air into her cheeks. “Again, not wrong, but… don’t let me catch you saying that to any of the other priestesses. Jongin’s their baby and they’ll rip your head off for him.”

Chanyeol’s eyebrows touched his hairline. “Wow.” He wasn’t afraid to admit that aggressive women were a guilty pleasure of his. “This may be a stupid question, but… if the priestesses like Jongin so much, what’s with the Court?”

Mara sighed like the mere mention of the group irked her. “Well, like I said, he speaks his mind when he’s more often than not in the wrong position to do so. But also… all of them were members when the Vilicus’s father had the throne. He was torn between his son and daughter for a long time, but he ultimately chose her beauty over Beom’s bloodthirsty ideals that the Court liked so much. Jongin could literally be the same exact person as his uncle and they would still reject him.”

“So… it’s up to me to shift centuries of bias?”

“Precisely,” Mara said. “But trust me, it’s not as hard as it seems. The Court has a natural affinity to like anyone with ichor in their blood. It’ll be easier to sway them than it would be for us priestesses.”

Chanyeol cringed. “Well actually… that might have changed now.”

“How so?”

After a deep breath, Chanyeol explained to Mara what went down between Jongin and his uncle before. He watched as her eyes widened in the middle of his story, and they were  _ angry.  _ “That dumb little…” Quickly, she grabbed Chanyeol’s wrist and snapped her fingers. In the blink of an eye, they were standing in a room the size of a house.

“Jongin!” Mara screeched at the top of her lungs towards the top of a winding, golden staircase.

“Wait, Mara--”

“Get you ass down here!”

“Could you maybe not mention it was me that told you?”

The priestess snapped her neck to face Chanyeol. The carnal energy displayed had him taking a step back. “Oh you’re in just as much trouble as him.”

_ But I didn’t do anything. _

A row of doors rested at the top of the staircase. The one to the furthest right swung open viciously and Jongin emerged with some sort of mask under his eyes and pink rollers in his hair. He was  _ still  _ in the same bathrobe and appeared to have just woken up. “Mara, what the hell do you  _ want? _ ”

Mara released the death grip she had on Chanyeol’s wrist to march up the stairs, her pointer finger extended at Jongin. “Oh don’t you dare give me attitude when you’ve messed up this bad. Do you know how long the priestesses and I have been looking for Chanyeol?” Jongin stayed silent, but he took a second to glance down, his expression unreadable. “ _ Decades,  _ Jongin. Actually, almost a century! The  _ least  _ you could’ve down was come up with a believable excuse for your uncle before you got the seal!”

Chanyeol knew he was in big trouble judging by Jongin’s face. He didn’t like being yelled at and the obvious person to take his anger out on was him.

“This isn’t completely my fault!” Jongin rebuttaled with. “It was your job to keep Uncle Beom away from him.”

“Don’t fucking pin this on me, brat.  _ I’m  _ not the one that screwed us over here.”

Jongin’s lips thinned and his nostrils flared. “I don’t need this,” he hissed, turning on his heel and heading back to his room, until Mara grabbed his elbow.

“You’re not running away. Tell me exactly what the hell you’re planning on saying to your uncle to clear things up. Tell me right now.”

“I don’t owe you anything.”

“Actually,” Mara dug her nails in and Jongin was lucky the bathroom seperated his skin from her, “you owe me a hell of a lot.”

Jongin sucked on the inside of his cheek, barley bothering to pull her off. “I’m going to tell him that Chanyeol was a Captain of a ship and I had him brought here to keep me company.”

Mara inhaled sharply. “That still makes him sound like a whore!”

Jongin frowned, moving his eyes down to once more make eye contact with Chanyeol. “... I know.”

“W-What?”

“Listen… I know it sounds like a longshot, but the title of ‘whore’ isn’t threatening. My uncle and the Court will let him in without any complications or tests because they think he’ll be easy to sway. Instead--”

“Instead he’ll sway them,” Mara finished, stroking her chin. She took a good thirty seconds to think, mumbling unintelligible nonsense to herself. “It’s a longshot, but… it just might work.”

“Y-You think so?”

“It’s our best move at this point.” Mara silently beckoned Chanyeol up the stairs. “But it does mean entrusting everything completely into Chanyeol’s charisma. If you’re prepared to do that, so am I.”

Jongin took a step back and held up his fingers as if to trap Chanyeol in a picture frame. “Maybe it’s the outfit, but I can see it. Everyone likes a good rags to riches story, right?” Chanyeol wondered if he was becoming numb to the feeling of being studied because he had no snarky response or complaint. “A little concealer and maybe some tinted lip balm, he’d be unstoppable.”

“Wow, this is like, the nicest you two have ever been to me.”

Mara patted Chanyeol’s back lightly. “Don’t get used to it, pretty boy. Things are only going to get harder from here.”

“In that case, I’m excited.”

Jongin shared a look with Chanyeol and both their smiles grew in sync. “Okay, I’m going to finish getting ready and as soon as I do, we can go talk to my uncle. Mara, go over dos and don’ts with him, please.”

“Aye aye, Captain.” With a mock salute and a smile, Jongin disappeared behind what Chanyeol assumed to be his bedroom door. In the silence, he could finally take in the white marble glory that was the room he was in.

Despite the surplus of rooms on the top floor, he could spot a living room, a kitchen, an indoor pool, and a balcony that extended to what seemed to be yet another pool. And that was all just what was in view. “Is this all for Jongin?”

“Yup! Only the best, amirite?”

“This is insane. One person can’t possibly need all this.”

“Jongin agrees. He mainly stays on the upper level and if he uses the rest, it’s for parties.”

Chanyeol’s eyes widened. “You have parties here?”

Mara cooed at him as if he was a baby and reached up to ruffle his hair like she didn’t need to get on the tips of her toes to do so. “You have so much to learn, pretty boy. Come, I’ll show you around.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> talk with me on twitter: @honeyglazeddd


	5. five.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi!
> 
> sorry i've been gone for so long. it took me awhile to gain my inspiration back, but hopefully i'm here to stay now. my laptop's been weird lately, so this chapter was written mostly on my phone which likes to autocorrect to present tense a lot, so sorry about that in advance. i'll go through and edit soon. 
> 
> um... please enjoy and don't forget to leave kudos and comments please! <3

Jongin came out of his bedroom ready yet another handful of hours later, but at that point, Chanyeol had the upper hand. Mara was still finishing up her tour of his mansion of a room, and they returned to the main living area to find Jongin lounging on one of the couches, legs spread wide as he paged through a novel. Small, wire rimmed glasses rested at the base of his nose and Chanyeol was yet again reminded of how annoyingly cute he was.

“You look so pretty, baby,” Mara cooed, wrapping her arms around Jongin’s neck from behind the couch. Jongin, who hadn’t noticed their arrival, flinched ever so slightly before his lips twitched in a small smile. 

“Thank you.” He took care in placing a ribbon in his book before gently shutting it. He made grabby hands at Chanyeol, and for a second, he was confused. “Help me up.”

The fresh memory of Jongin’s fall from his swing in the garden crossed Chanyeol’s mind. Jongin was, without a doubt, horribly spoiled. But Chanyeol was a nice guy so he took hold of Jongin’s small--in comparison--hands and tugged him up. “You look good. Did the six hours help?”

“Funny.”

The truth was that Jongin looked more than good. Chanyeol just didn’t want to compliment him without making it backhanded.

“No, I mean it.” Chanyeol played with a loose curl, a product of the pink rollers from before. “All this for your uncle?”

“Bastard cares more about appearances than anything else.” Jongin swatted his hand away and sneered.

“You’re still trying to impress him?”

“Yes, and I will continue to until I get that throne.”

“Then what?”

Jongin’s eyes glazed over and a sick sort of smile appeared. “Then I’m banishing his ass to Pluto.”

“I like that plan.”

“Good.” 

“Hey!” Both of their attentions snapped to Mara, already standing at the bedroom door. “Are we going or not?”

“Going,” grumbled Jongin like a child. Mara, scoffing, snapped her fingers and vanished from where she stood. It wasn’t long until a hand enveloped Chanyeol’s own, and the ground was swept from under his feet. Before a scream of sheer surprised could tear itself from his lips, wooden floors stabilized him. That didn’t change his shaky breaths and the heat that rushed to his cheeks.

“A warning would’ve been nice.”

Jongin stuck out his tongue. “You’re pathetic.”

Chanyeol pursed his lips. He wasn’t about to dignify such an immature action with a response. He knocked the back of Jongin’s head, only slightly gently, and took a second to absorb his surroundings. He was in a study, of sorts. It had the tell tale markings of an expensive desk, bookshelves, and an open middle area with plush armchairs. The walls were the odd part, though. Pure, crystal glass that offered a perfect view of what Chanyeol knew to be Persephone’s Garden.

“So he can keep tabs on me.”

“Hm?”

“You were going to ask why the glass walls, right?”

Frustrated that he was so readable, Chanyeol shook his head. “No.”

“Sure.” Jongin’s tone said he thought the opposite. 

“Where’s your uncle? And Mara?”

Jongin planted himself in one of the chairs and threw his legs over one arm rest like he was in the comfort of his own room. “She’s probably getting him. He’s only in here when he’s got work today or if I’m in the garden so he can make sure I’m not scheming his demise.”

“He must not be that observant.”

“Trust me, he is. I’m just ten times better than him.”

Chanyeol was tempted to bring up Jongin’s whole “whore” slip up, but in fear of his own life, he decided to keep mum. As he loiterted in the doorway, he watched the way Jongin threw his head over the side of the chair and twiddled his ankles to a silent beat. He was… different. The more he saw of him, the less he saw a ruler of the galaxy. He simply could not imagine this playful, sarcastic, and childish boy on a throne. 

Considering his responsibilities, this was far from a good thing. Mara sounded so confident in Jongin’s capabilities, it just didn’t make sense. Did he see a different person than everyone else?

“Jongin…”

“Hm?”

Chanyeol didn’t know why he started talking. He had no plan. “Why do you want to be the Vilicus?”

“I can’t let my uncle destroy the universe.”

“I didn’t ask you why you don’t want your uncle to be the Vilicus.”

Jongin’s ankles froze mid movement. For a moment, Chanyeol thought he broke the boy. “Way to ask the difficult questions.” Jongin sighed deeply as he lifted his neck to stare at Chanyeol from an angle that must’ve been grossly uncomfortable. “What would you say if I told you I didn’t want to?”

“I’d say that makes sense. But I’d want to know why anyway.”

Jongin’s face darkened and managed to age years in a matter of milliseconds. He shifted into an appropriate sitting position, his hands tightly laced in his lap. “It can’t be him, so it has to be me. That’s the fate I was dealt, and I’m not about to complain.”

Chanyeol opened up a box he shouldn’t have. He sat across from Jongin and made sure to take a second to think through his next words. “What would you rather be doing?”

“If I’m honest… your life sounds pretty damn awesome. Adventure, exploration… friends. I don’t get much of that around here.”

“The priestesses are your friends.”

“I’m their doll.” Jongin rubbed the back of his neck, alleviating tension that didn’t bother him up until the start of the conversation. “You’re probably second guessing your decision to take my side, right?”

Chanyeol shrugged. “There’s a lack of passion, but you have a sense of duty.” If it were up to him, young Chanyeol wouldn’t have become the leader of a group of criminals that lived off petty crimes. He would’ve liked to be part of that Earthen 1% that lived above the ever present slums with a beautiful spouse and children. He, in sum, wanted an easy life, but he made friends he loved. He had to figure out a way to keep them all alive. Jongin didn’t have to want to be the Vilicus to do a good job. He was aware of the lives that rested in his hands. “That’s enough for me.”

Jongin smiled, his eyes twinkling. “You’re not half bad, you know that?”

“Surprisingly.”

The boom of the door hitting the wall as a result of a harsh whip drowned out Jongin’s next words. Chanyeol wished he could ask for repetition, but Jongin’s uncle was already staring him down like he was the scum of the universe. “You brought the whore?”

“I thought it was appropriate he came considering you wish to discuss him.” Jongin returned to a less than respectful sitting position, earning a harsh glare. He really did go out of his way to make Beom unhappy. “That’s not a problem, is it?”

Grunting unkindly, Beom waved off his nephew as he journeyed to his desk, apparently above joining them in the armchairs. “It wouldn’t be if you could keep the smart assery to a minimum.” 

Jongin ran his tongue along the inside of his bottom lip. “We could go back and forth all day, Uncle Beom, so why don’t we jump right to the point? I want the Seal of Protection for Chanyeol, and I’m prepared to answer any questions you have until I get it. So… fire away.”

“The Seal?” Beom’s thick eyebrows knitted together, adding more wrinkles to his already rich collection. “Why would you need that? He’s not going to go much further than your room.”

“I’m not going to lock him up. If he wants to roam without me at his side, he should be able to without worry.”

Chanyeol grew bored embarrassingly quick. If Jongin and his uncle were going to talk about him like he wasn’t present, he might as well help them out. He tuned their snarky comments into white noise and concentrated on the wind that rustled the trees outside and the bird-like creatures that meandered from branch to branch. He could almost feel the gentle chill of the outside on his own skin and hear the chirps like they were a familiar melody. 

He wanted to go out. Until he remembered, in that moment, he wasn’t free. He wasn’t alongside Shadow. He wasn’t witnessing Baekhyun argue payment for their recently stolen goods with a buyer. Kyungsoo wasn’t forcing him to watch some ancient Earthen television. The bickering that was going in one ear and out the other didn’t belong to Sehun and Minseok. Chanyeol, for a few glorious moments, forgot he was a captive in strange territory with strange people and a strange mission.

Sadness and regret hardened in his stomach like a heavy rock. How could he so easily forget that Jongin wasn’t his friend? Not even Mara could be considered an acquaintance. Apart from where he became useful in their desires, he didn’t matter. He was just--

“--yeol. Chanyeol! Can you hear me?” Jongin’s voice came as a dagger in his daydreams. Sharp and annoying as fuck. “Wake up!” he yelled, clapping his hands in front of Chanyeol’s face.

“Holy shit, alright, alright, I’m up.” Chanyeol said, trying to push down his memories of Shadow. He could cry about them later in the comfort of his own room, but he refused to let either Jongin or his uncle see such a thing. “What do you want?”

“I asked you a question.”

“Well obviously I didn’t hear.” 

A sound in between a scoff, a laugh, and a cough drew itself from Beom. “This is how your whore talks to you?”

“I asked why you chose to join me here.” Sickly sweet sugar dripped from his tight lipped smile, and Chanyeol felt like he was supposed to know something he didn’t. He mentally cursed his self-pitying space out. “It’s money, correct?”

Breathing a sigh of relief, Chanyeol nodded. “Um… yes.”

“He sounds confident.” Beom’s lip curled.

“He’s not a speaker. Why are you so quick to question me? Am I a liar in your eyes?”

“Precisely.”

Jongin reeled back, his indignation evident and comical. “I have no reason to lie to you! Definitely not about this!”

“And here you are… lying again.” Beom stood up with his hands fastened behind his back. He left them all in painful silence as he perused his bookshelves, pulling out book after book, examining them like the well worn spines didn’t suggest thorough use. “I think you have every reason to hatch up some annoying scheme that will keep your mother’s crown from me. You think I’m not on to you? That I’m some fool?”

Mara and Jongin exchanged glances of worry which were enough to perplex Chanyeol as well. Beom seemed to have gained the upper hand, pushing this mysterious Seal further and further from their grasp. He wanted to help, he really did, but he couldn’t think of what he could do. Entirely helpless, Chanyeol resigned to his chair and hoped Mara and Jongin were well prepared for all of this.

“I’m no competition for you,” said Jongin. He was quite the actor. “Just let me have this. You know it’ll keep me out of your hair.”

Beom’s shoulders rose and fell with a long exhale. His reflection showed a smile begging to reveal itself. Pompous prick. “Fine.” He marched to his desk and retrieved a stamp. “But if I am wrong to trust you, I’ll make you regret it. Understood?”

“Understood.” Jongin caught the stamp that came flying through the air. He directed his attention to Chanyeol and wagged his eyebrows. “Hold out your hand.”

For some reason, his hand was extended before he fully understood why. “Wait—”

“It’ll sting just a little. Are you ready?”

“I don’t know—”

The stamp came down without warning. The stench of burning flesh quickly followed. Chanyeol cried bloody murder and attempted to pull his hand away but found himself unable to. “J-Jongin!”

“Just a few more seconds.”

Chanyeol’s let out another desperate cry, frantically trying to escape though he knew it was futile. “It fucking hurts!”

“No shit. It’s meant to be permanent.” Finally removing his tight grip, Jongin sat back in his seat, annoyingly proud. Shoulders shaking and tears gathering in his eyes, Chanyeol stared down at his hand. A smiling sun stared back at him, pink and made entirely out of his burnt skin.

“What. The. _Hell?_ ”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I doubt you would’ve agreed if I did.”

“Little bitch,” Chanyeol hissed. “That was cruel.”

“But necessary.” Jongin’s eyes dashed to where his uncle stood. “Let’s go, shall we? Get a bandage on that?”

Chanyeol had a burning hatred for Jongin at the moment, but he could really use some soothing ointment before he started out right sobbing. He chased after Jongin and Mara, leaving without a polite farewell. The two cling to each other as they walked and laughed hysterically. “Excuse me?” Chanyeol called out. “Can I ask what the fuck this even is?”

Mara cooed as she approached Chanyeol’s extended hand. “Poor baby.” She wrapped her slender fingers around his and rubbed her thumb against the raised flesh. “This is citizenship for those not born here. You can’t roam unaccompanied without it, and you sure as hell can’t join the Court. I hope it didn’t hurt too much.”

“Oh _fuck off._ ” He whipped his hand away. “The both of you are some of the worst people I’ve ever met! Y-You talk about the greater good of the galaxy, but manage to be so horribly self centered at the same time. I’m sick of it! Absolutely sick and tired. Maybe I didn't want to be _branded_ like cattle. Did you ever stop, for even a second, to think that? I second guess my decision to help the more you pull stupid stunts like this. I may not be immortal or the child of a deity like you two, but I know I deserve some fucking respect for just being here.”

Chanyeol’s last syllable reverberated off the gilded walls. It seemed to hit Mara and Jongin by the way he saw genuine shock on their faces. “Chanyeol…” Mara started, her voice small.

“I’m sorry.”

Now a little more than shocked, Mara and Chanyeol faced Jongin. He was shifting his weight to the left and didn’t dare to meet either of their eyes. “This has always been my problem, and my problem alone. I was wrong to shove all of this on you in so little time, but… I hope you can forgive me. I-I really need your help, Chanyeol. I’m so sorry for all of this. Whatever it takes for me to make this up to you, I’ll do it.”

Chanyeol’s head went empty. To think only moments ago he was not only prepared but excited vicious chew Mara and Jongin out. After such a speech, the prospect seemed to be on the same level as taking candy from a baby. 

“Of… of course I forgive you. I just ask that you stop keeping things from me for your own benefit, and definitely not for your entertainment.”

“That’s easily done.” Jongin beamed. “Shall we stop wasting time? We gotta bandage that before it infects.” He lifted Chanyeol’s wounded hand to his lips. It should’ve stung like a bitch, hurt like Mara’s tough against it, but his plush lips were feather soft. Pretty puckered up as well. Like the petals of a flower. Enamored, Chanyeol barely noticed teleporting until the familiar incense of his gifted room hit his nose. “Sorry I didn’t warn you.”

“I’ll let it slide this time.” 

Silence settled between them, but it was anything but awkward. Jongin’s hands still encapsulated Chanyeol’s. They were warm. Comfortingly so. But Chanyeol found most of his attention centered on Jongin’s lips still. “What are you doing?”

“I…” Chanyeol gulped. Looking back on all his past hookups, he couldn’t remember his heart ever beating so fast because of close proximity. “You’re so pretty.”

Jongin scoffed. He cupped one side of Chanyeol’s face, spreading his warmth even further. “If you’re thinking about kissing me, I’d advise against it.”

“Wh—”

Jongin removed just touch only to return it a moment later with more force. Not enough to hurt, but more than enough to clear the hearts from Chanyeol’s vision. His vision cleared and no longer centered on Jongin’s lips. They remained beautiful, but he was capable of looking elsewhere.

“Huh,” he breathed. “Thank you.”

“No problem.” 

Jongin snapped his fingers, summoning a clear bottle and a roll of bandages. He quietly sat them both down and got to tending to Chanyeol. His fingers worked delicately, gently, and efficiently. Barely a minute later, his hand was tightly bound in white and numb to pain. 

“That should be all better by tomorrow. Then, we get an audience with my mom, get you on the Court, and from there, it’s smooth sailing.” He spring to his feet. “In the meantime, rest a little. You’ve been through a lot.”

“Alright. Good night.”

Jongin pecked the top of Chanyeol’s forehead. “Good night. But… before you go… you should know you acted like a real leader today.”

“Hm?”

“You stood your ground against your uncle and owed up to your mistakes. Earth as well as a lot of the other planets would benefit from you as Vilicus.”

Jongin’s smile was bashful. Chanyeol and Mara called him attractive so many times, but this was the first time he saw him react to a compliment. “Thank you. You don’t know how much that means to me.”

He disappeared, but the scent of apples and cinnamon lingered. Chanyeol’s head hit his pillow feeling light as a cloud.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> follow me on twitter! @honeyglazeddd


	6. six.

Chanyeol woke up with faint memories golden deities and scorching flames. He couldn’t recall if they hailed from a dream or a nightmare, but his skin tingled all over anyway. He shook his head, pushing it all away and climbed out of the curtains that surrounded his bed. Yawning, scratching, and stretching, he prepared himself for a walk to the bathroom, only to find Mara and Jongin lounging in his set of furniture, whispering in conversation. “You gotta be kidding me,” he huffed under his breath. “How long have you two been here?”

They met eyes before shrugging. “Just a few minutes. You look pissed,” said Mara.

“I kinda am.” Chanyeol really needed to piss, but he refused to until he got Jongin and Mara out. “I thought we all agreed to respect my privacy a little more.”

“We did.” The confusion on Jongin’s face was annoying. “That includes coming into your room?”

“Without warning, yes.”

Jongin sighed as he stood up. “You Eartherns are so weird.” He helped Mara to her feet. “Well we’ll be back in an hour, and you’ll be meeting my mother.”

Chanyeol lazily waved bye as the disappeared together. Finally alone, he rushed off to the bathroom to get himself presentable comfortably. After a long, hot shower, he exited the bathroom with nothing more than a towel around his waist. He did so cautiously, just in case another resident of the Temple happened to invite themselves in again. Finding his room empty, Chanyeol breathed a breath of relief.

Jongin said he was meeting his mother today which meant he had to dress to impress. Every single piece of clothing put in his closet could easily do the trick, but that made the decision all the more difficult. Finery among finery blurred the lines. Not that he was educated in fashion in the first place.

Nervously, he settled on a black sweater accompanied by a pinstripe blazer and pants duo. The man he saw in the mirror looked a lot like the Eartherns Chanyeol used to hate. Dressed in clothes that cost more than enough to bring children of the slums into homes. He remembered wishing cruel fates upon them. When he met his friends, their first few jobs revolved off “borrowing” such clothes off such people to buy themselves hot meals. 

Simply put, he didn’t like what he saw.

His leather jacket and torn up jeans still sat in the corner of his room in a sad ball. He missed the familiarity of them, but Jongin wouldn’t let him hear the end of it.

Just a few more weeks, a month at max, and he’d be back in his jacket surrounded by his family. Until then, he could tolerate something as trivial as fancy fashion. 

Somewhere in between his resignation to the fate he was dealt, Jongin and Mara returned. He saw them in the reflection and forced a smile. “You’re on time.”

“When am I not?” Jongin asked, plopping down on the sofa.

“Literally all the time,” Mara said, plopping down on him.

Chanyeol laughed, sitting across from them. “Who wants to run me through what’s about to happen?”

“I can.” Mara raised her hand. Chanyeol took notice of how pretty she was in her yoga of similar style of the one she wore when he first met Jongin. “We requested an audience with the Vilicus yesterday, she accepted this morning. She’s known about you for a long time, but she just has to make a show of deeming you ready for the Court in front of them. But trust me, she will.”

“What should I expect… regarding her, I mean.”

“Appearance wise, she’s pretty shocking, to be honest. Just imagine Jongin female, brighter, and like… four feet taller.”

Chanyeol’s eyes jumped to Jongin, scanning from his bare mile long legs to proportionate but lean torso. He wouldn’t be wrong to assume he was in the realm of six feet. If his mother was four feet taller, that would make her…

“Ten feet tall?!”

“Damn, I always forget seven feet is a milestone for Earthens.” Mars shrugged her shoulders. “The Vilicus can adjust their height, but she did grow to ten feet before she even got the title. She keeps it that way around the Court to assert dominance.”

Chanyeol guffawed. “So that means J-Jongin will…?”

“When I’m Vilicus, yes, I can make myself ten feet tall. But naturally, I’m done growing. Beom calls me a ‘dwarf’.”

Chanyeol let himself relax. He didn’t know if he could physically or mentally handle Jongin that tall. “Beom isn’t even that tall either.” He had that advantage over Jongin, but he barely surpassed Chanyeol.

“Well… yeah, but he’s an idiot.”

“Okay, um, alright. I think I’m ready.”

Mara smiled. “If you say so, pretty boy.”

“Wait,” Jongin said. He pointed to Chanyeol’s hand. Mainly the bandage around it. “Let’s take care of that first.”

Oh. He totally forgot.

Chanyeol let Jongin unwrap him, revealing the sun as flattened red lines on his skin. “Technically you’re able to do this yourself now, but it’s gonna be pretty hard to visualize something you’ve never seen so…” Jongin tightened his grip, and Chanyeol saw what was coming. He quickly and sharply breathed in. When he exhaled, they were standing in front of a set of grand and gilded doors. “Nice to see you’re learning.”

“I thought we already agreed on the fact that I’m smarter than I looked.”

Jongin sneered playfully, ready to retort, but Mara’s voice sounded over his. “Can you two stop flirting for, like, a second? We’re already late.”

“That wasn’t—”

“Oh shut up. I’m opening the doors. Brace yourself.”

The last part was obviously directed toward Chanyeol, but it was Jongin who took the incentive and intertwined his fingers with Chanyeol’s. When he looked down to meet a mocking smile, Jongin’s attention was directed on Mara as she pushed on the heavy doors with her back. After a series of grunts and Chanyeol debating on whether he should jump into help, it gave way. A stream of white light entered the hallway, making everything around them appear dim. Mara easily pushed the door the rest of the way, disappearing into the brightness that got harsher and harsher the more of it that was released. “If I go in, I _will_ go blind.”

“I guess it’s just a risk we’ll have to take,” Jongin joked, pulling Chanyeol along. He too was swallowed up by the light. Chanyeol looked down to their locked hands, the last part he could still see of Jongin and gulped.

“You can do this, you can do this,” he whispered to himself. Jongin was pulling on him, but he could more than easily fight against it. “You’re doing this for them.” His crew popped into his head. They were smiling, happy to see him again. Chanyeol wouldn’t be able to make that fantasy a reality unless he kept going forward. He gave into Jongin’s tugging, his eyes screwed shut.

It felt as if his body passed through a tight but permeable barrier. As the odd sensation passed, he remained afraid of opening his eyes back up.

“I feel like we’ve had a conversation like this before.” Mara’s voice had a heavenly echo, but it was still close. “It’ll only hurt for a second, pretty boy.”

Chanyeol focused first on steadying his breath and then dared to open his vision. Mara was right in saying it hurt because it stung like a bitch, but when the tears were sucked back in, he saw the two standing in front of him, waiting. They were Jongin and Mara, but at the same time… they weren’t.

“What the fuck?” He uttered.

This Jongin that stared back at him had branches of gold that floated around his head the same way beams of light extended from the sun. This Jongin had soulless, pure white eyes to match his hair that danced mid air as of constantly tussled by wind. This Jongin has markings of gold under his eyes in an ancient language foreign to Chanyeol in place of his lovely freckles. This Jongin was stunning and heavenly, but he was not _his_ Jongin.

Mara’s first description of Jongin suddenly came back. _“He even changed the majority of his appearance to look like your kind”._ Whatever magic he did to do that, it didn’t reach here.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Mara, with her more circular style of halo, looked from Chanyeol to Jongin to Chanyeol to Jongin again until it apparently hit her. “Oh, gods, Jongin. Your appearance.”

“What about— _oh.”_ Jongin met Chanyeol’s eyes, and he couldn’t suppress the instinct to jump back. His eyes were like those of ancient statues and he didn’t like it one bit. “Is it… is it bad?”

“No, I--” Chanyeol felt guilty for how openly he showed his surprise. He’d have to be utterly insane to think any being that looked like how Jongin looked at the moment was ugly, but it was change. Change was scary. “I like it.”

Jongin frowned. “You’re lying.”

“I’m sorry.”

Jongin’s face screwed. He spun on his heel and sped off, angrily muttering about being late. Chanyeol felt ten times worse than before. “He’s always been insecure about his true form,” Mara said, urging Chanyeol forward by beginning to walk herself. “Halo’s normal. The eyes aren’t.

“I didn’t mean to offend him.”

“I know. He knows too, but… he’s started to care a little too much about your opinion of him the past few days.” She lowered her head. “We’re going to turn the corner and we’ll be in front of the Vilicus. So… let’s talk about this later, yes?”

“Yeah.”

Chanyeol still couldn’t stop thinking about it. The way Jongin barely responded to compliments, it all made sense now. They were given to something that wasn’t him. He was already trying to concoct a plan to make it up to Jongin, but it was more difficult than it seemed. He couldn’t lie, but he could sure as hell get used to the eyes. That all depended on how truly pissed Jongin was.

In the midst of his internal struggle, Chanyeol reached the dreaded turn sooner than he thought. “Ready?” asked Mara.

“I sure hope so.”

Chanyeol walked the path, exposing himself to a room that appeared to have no end. The floor beneath his feet was metallic mosaic that all led to a throne the size of Noir herself. A woman sat on it. The Vilicus. Undoubtedly. A row of chairs extended from the throne’s platform on either side, seating a total of eight people. Judging off their stony expressions, it was the Court.

With the head start he had, Jongin was already perched on the armrest of his mother’s throne as her massive hand played with his hair. They were giggling about something too quiet for everyone else to hear.

Neither of them noticed Chanyeol’s arrival.

It wasn’t until a whole minute later that the Vilicus turned her neck and her familiar smile faded. She removed her hand from Jongin’s head and she was suddenly a normal sized woman in a too large chair. Chanyeol could’ve laughed if he wasn’t also so scared out of his wits. She descended the platform and began to travel the length of the room to where Chanyeol stood, frozen.

She was the sun personified with skin like honey and mocha hair down to her waist that curled ever so slightly. Her dress of copper silk trailed behind her and revealed a slit to the top of her left hip with every other step. She was beautiful, she was regal, and she knew it. Her confidence was akin to the kind Jongin showed outside these doors. Their faces were similar, but it was their aura that demanded attention which made them related.

“Park Chanyeol,” she said in a voice sweet as morning dew. “It’s so nice to finally meet you. You’ve all I heard about these past few days.”

Was he supposed to bow? Was that a thing that was supposed to happen? Mara gave him no clue when he glanced to her. When he stared forward again, the Vilicus was mere inches away and the bowing dilemma solved itself. “Um… thanks.”

Mara’s disappointment was fast. She half heartedly suppressed a groan as her head dropped into her hands. The Vilicus looked to her with an amused scoff. “You’re very welcome, my boy. I believe my beloved priestesses and son brought you here because of the ichor in your blood. Is that true?”

“Y-Yes.”

“Well as long as we’re being honest, I don’t have any missing spots to fill on my Court. Of course I can make exceptions, but can you give me a reason as to why I should?”

Chanyeol gulped. The way Mara and Jongin talked before, they made it sound like he’d walk in and be given a spot. He expected no questions, especially one with more wrong answers than right. “I, um… I don’t--” Even as far away as he was, Chanyeol didn’t miss Jongin’s snicker. He must’ve had something to do with this. While Chanyeol figured he might partially deserve it, he wasn’t going to let the brat think he won so soon. 

“If it isn’t already obvious, I’m an Earthen,” Chanyeol started, proud of himself for his steady voice. “My planet’s not in the best state and for the sake of friends and family, I want to try and change that. With a government as corrupt as ours, that path is hopeless. This one, though, I can see myself making an impact.”

“And how do you plan on doing so?”

Dammit, she was so intimidating up close. Chanyeol just wanted her to like him, but with Mara refused to make eye contact and the Court’s unwavering resting faces, he had no gauge on how well of a job he was doing. “M-Many of the children of the slums I grew up in were born into a post apocalyptic and starved life. There’s not much room for hope. I will show the next generation that they don’t have to deal with the cards they were dealt. They don’t have to live miserable.”

It was his first time saying any of this out loud. Even Shadow tried to avoid talking about Earth at all costs and Chanyeol always assumed they shared the same thoughts, so what was the point anyway? He was surprised by every word he spoke, but he didn’t regret any of them. 

The Vilicus’s face was limp for a few seconds until her hand darted out to grasp Chanyeol’s chin, pushing it up. “I hope you don’t mind, but I do have to confirm the ichor is there.” A dagger sharp nail was pressed against the soft skin right of his neck. Chanyeol didn’t think he was in any position to disagree and nodded. “Thank you.”

The nail moved around a little, apparently searching until it rested on his jugular vein. It pressed, drawing a hiss from his lips. Soon after, the Vilicus removed her hand. A drop of gold fell from the tip to the floor where it sizzled and then disappeared. 

“Th-That came from me?” Chanyeol absent-mindedly went to touch the small scratch, and sure enough, his finger tips came away tinted in something that was sparklier and thinner than blood. “Fucking hell.”

The Vilicus laughed. “It’s amazing to see the first time, I know.” She wiped her hand against her presumably priceless dress. “You’ve passed the test, Park Chanyeol. Welco--”

“Your majesty!” The sudden yell whipped everyone’s head to the right side of the throne. A member of the court was on his feet, and he didn’t sound happy. “Before you make your decision, you have to know that your son brought that Earthen here as sexual companion. Ichor in his blood or not, putting him amongst his rank would be a disgrace.” 

Now sprawled in the main seat of his mother’s throne, Jongin shamelessly groaned and rolled his eyes. “Oh get your head out of your ass already, Gavreel.”

“You little--”

“Silence!” Chanyeol counted the bouncing of the Vilicus’s voice and counted four whole times before the hollow room fell into an uncomfortable silence. Gavreel’s face was red in either embarrassment or anger, but both made sense. “Jongin. Apologize.”

“But mo--”

“Apologize!”

“... I’m sorry, Gavreel,” he huffed, a childish pout on his face.

Gavreel’s expression brightened like Jongin’s submission brought him some sort of fucked up satisfaction. It was a good thing the Vilicus wasn’t done with him either. “I wouldn’t let myself get so proud now, either, Gavreel. I very much appreciate your input, but I’ve made my decision. Chanyeol, your relationship with my son won’t impact your ability to do your job, will it?”

“Not at all, y-your majesty.”

“There we have it.” The Vilicus threw her ringed fingers over Chanyeol’s shoulders and gave them an enduring squeeze. “It’ll be nice to get a fresh point of view around here. Welcome to the Court, Park Chanyeol. We’re overjoyed to have you.”


	7. seven.

Weeks passed in the Temple and only felt like days. He asked Mara what day it was on Earth, as that was how he and his friends counted time, and he was shocked to find that it had been almost exactly three months since his ‘abduction’. Three months away from his family. He missed them more than words could describe. 

To add further insult to injury, Jongin still hadn’t talked to him since his formal induction to the Court. Mara said he would get over it, but that was yet to prove true.

“Have you tried giving him something? Jongin loves gifts.”

“What can I give to a boy that has a whole mansion to himself?” Chanyeol didn’t understand _why_ he was so mentally tormented by something as simple as Jongin avoiding conversation. As infuriating as his memories made him, he should be overjoyed for some peace and quiet. “Not that he’d even let me within five feet of him. I go to his room and the moment we make eye contact, he’s gone.”

Mara’s face was covered mostly by the shadow her big hat cast, but he heard the way she hummed in thought. “I’ll talk to him. You two should be on good terms seeing as your first official meeting with the Court is in two days.” She reached from her sun chair to his, curling slender fingers around his arm.

Mara’s living quarters weren’t nearly as impressive as Jongin, but her pool was hella nice. Chanyeol’s jaw dropped to the floor when he first saw it. It was just like a pool of molten gold, but pleasantly warm when he dipped his toes in.

“This is where I come to destress so don’t ruin that with your whining,” said Mara, her body laying limp as she released tons of tension. Her mostly exposed skin glittered like precious jewels under the light. He was grateful for her closed eyes because he couldn’t take his eyes off her. “There’s more to this place than politics, and I want you to see that. Jongin’s throwing a party tonight. Technically, you’re not invited but you can be my plus one. I’ll talk to him there for you.”

“Mhm.” Chanyeol could get behind that. He fucking missed parties, and Mara was right. He was a guest in a literal home of the Gods, he might as well enjoy it. 

Chanyeol stood up briskly. “I’m going in.”

“Have fun, pretty boy.”

“Come in with me.”

Mara scoffed. “You’re funny.” Mara tipped her hat up to reveal a smirk which only served as a challenge to Chanyeol.

“Suit yourself.” 

Just as Mara closed her eyes again, Chanyeol had his arms beneath her legs and neck. “Wh—” she started, startled. “Park Chanyeol, don’t you da— _ah!_ ”

A powerful splash on water swallowed Mara’s screams right up. Chanyeol’s head broke through to the surface first, and he couldn’t stop laughing as she slowly treaded to the top, her hat still half on. “I’m going to murder you.”

“Try.”

Chanyeol loved the water. He never learned any special skills, but what his instincts gave him was good enough. Though she had the pool at her convenience, it was obvious Mara didn’t get much time in it. He dove back in, his lungs filled enough to last him at least a minute. Mara’s lower half twisted around, seemingly aiding her upper half in locating him. Chanyeol grabbed her thighs and once again tugged her back in. She spun to meet his face, her own twisted in determination. The best thing was that her eyes weren’t angry. They were teetering on the point between pissed and happy.

Giving her a two fingered wave, Chanyeol decided to relieve his lungs and darted to the top before she could do anything. 

The surface was a blur, at first, as he wiped the water from his vision. Very slowly, bare feet came into focus. One thing after another, Chanyeol found himself staring up at Jongin. An incredibly not happy Jongin.

“Where’s Mara?”

“O-Oh, um, she’s—”

With probably the worst timing recorded in history, Chanyeol felt arms wrap around his legs before a strong tug tore him away from Jongin. 

Mara’s wide smile screamed, _‘I got you’,_ and Chanyeol wished he could give her the satisfaction. 

_‘Jongin,’_ he mouthed.

She frowned. In a split second, they were both standing at the shallow edge, feeling strangely guilty. Chanyeol couldn’t figure out why. They didn’t do anything wrong, but with the way Jongin glared the both of them down, one would think he caught a cheating partner. 

“Dry up,” he said after an uncomfortable amount of time. 

“Jongin—” Mara tried, reaching out a hand.

“I don’t care.” Jongin twisted away. “I’ll see you in five minutes.”

He vanished, leaving nothing but a bad aura in the room. “What’s his deal? You were just playing around.”

Mara sighed deeply as she emerged from the pool and began toweling her hair dry. “You wouldn’t understand, pretty boy.”

“C’mon, at least give me a chance.”

“It’s not my secret to tell.” Mara dropped her towel and reached behind to play with the strings of her bikini top. Chanyeol turned around as if commanded. “You’re all good.” Mara stood in a short white toga, dry as she was before they started. Beautiful, Chanyeol thought.

“Then whose secret is it?”

“You’re smart enough to know that for yourself.”

“Is it Jongin’s?” Chanyeol stepped out of the pool and caught the towel thrown his way. “Since when did he have a problem with the two of us hanging out?”

Mara looked strangely sympathetic. “Oh you poor thing.” She patted his shoulder and raised her hand, ready to snap. “Brush up on your social skills. You’ll never imagine what you might find.”

~

Chanyeol left Mara’s place after she did, though he was told he could stay as long as he wanted. The spacious apartment didn’t feel right all to himself so he returned to his own to clean up, the past events replaying in his head like a movie. Mara’s words made absolutely no sense. Brush up on his social skills? Like, what the hell was that supposed to even _mean?_ His social skills were great, advanced even.

As he showered, slipped into a pair of pajama pants, and crawled into bed, he scraped his mind for secrets Jongin could be keeping that he somehow missed. Did his mother actually hate him? Was this all some elaborate prank?

Were his friends alright?

He retraced the memories up until his meeting with Beom, when things started going awry. A few things stuck out, but they only made sense once he recalled Mara’s attempt at comfort after he indirectly insulted Jongin.

_He’s started to care a little too much about your opinion of him the past few days._

“Holy _shit_.”

Oh this was good. Too good, actually. Assuming he was right, which he was 90% sure he was, the party at Jongin’s place tonight was going to be a hell of a lot of fun.

~

“I think we found your element,” Mara said, appearing at Chanyeol’s door in a loose and short green slip dress. She ran her tongue over her top lip, eyeing him through the mirror. “This is better than the button ups and pants, if I’m being honest.”

“I agree.” Chanyeol scanned over himself once more and smiled. He felt at home in his graphic tee and ripped jeans. “Parties were my natural habitat out there. Anything different I should be expecting?”

“Just know that you’ve never been to a party like this.”

“Hmm. Incredibly boring, right?”

Mara approached him, her hips swaying. “Quite the contrary.” She fixed his silver necklace, bringing the clasp to the back so the layers sat nicely.

“Please. A bunch of priestesses who dedicated their lives to the gods? Y’all can’t be allowed to have too much fun.”

Mara rolled her eyes. “Let’s not forget that the Olympians were not exactly the holiest. Apollo especially.” She must’ve had an eye for small inconveniences because as she spoke, she continued to fix small things about his appearance ranging from his hair to the way his clothes fell. “Okay I think we’re all good.”

“Nice.” Chanyeol curled his arm around Mara’s waist and smiled. “I got this one.” He had been practicing his roaming, and not to sound cocky, but he was getting pretty good. Not that he went anywhere other than his room and Mara’s though. Either way, he was eager to show her his progress. She shrugged in his hold and soon they were in Jongin’s room, attacked by booming music and the smell of smoke from every direction.

“Hot damn,” he breathed. Every part of Jongin’s visible room was packed with pretty girl after pretty girl tinted by purple and blue lights. They were drinking and dancing like Venusians on a Friday night. Nothing like how Chanyeol expected priestesses of Apollo to act like. Outside, they were playing around in Jongin’s hot tub either in their underwear or topless.

Oh, Baekhyun was going to be so jealous when he heard about this.

“Is it everything you expected?”

“And more.”

Mara laughed. “C’mon, I see Jongin.”

Chanyeol kept his arm around her hips as she led him to the middle of the party. Jongin’s circle of furniture was filled with girls with him at the middle. They had their hands all over him, fluffing his hair and pulling at his cropped tee. Chanyeol didn’t really like that. Most of all, he didn’t appreciate the way Jongin leaned into all their advances. 

“Hi there,” Mara said, projecting her voice over the music. 

Jongin, noticing them for the first time, jumping to his feet. “Mara!” A chorus of her name echoed from the rest of the girls, extremely excited to see her. Chanyeol wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Mara was their leader. “I’m so glad you could make it.”

“As if I’d pass this up.” She cupped his face, running her thumb below his eyes. “You look especially pretty today. Any reason?”

Jongin smacked her shoulder lightly. “Shut up.”

Mara was right. It was like Jongin grew more and more attractive with each day he avoided Chanyeol like the plague. He was barely dressed up, donning a simple black crop top with impressively tight black jeans and an assortment of gold jewelry to accessorize, but he still looked unrealistically good. Chanyeol wished he could say so, but Jongin’s honey tone eyes were a reminder that it would be inappropriate. 

“Are you going to say ‘hi’ to Chanyeol?”

“I wasn’t planning on it.” Any trace of contentment that Jongin had from his brief conversation with Mara melted away. Chanyeol was happy he knew Jongin’s secret, happy he had the upper hand, otherwise he’d be getting fed up. “Is that something I should do?”

“Don’t be a brat,” said Mara, clucking her tongue. “You two need to patch things up.”

“Is this really the place to do this?”

She cocked an eyebrow at Jongin. “If not now, then when?”

“I hate you.” Jongin twisted around to pick a red plastic cup from the table. Judging by the quickness in which he did so, Chanyeol could tell it wasn’t for sure his. “Come with me.” This time, he spoke to Chanyeol, his tone cold. 

“We don’t have to--”

“Apparently I have to talk to you, and if I’m going to do it, I’m doing it my way.” 

Chanyeol hoped to get some backup from Mara, but when he looked to his side, she was gone. She already found a spot in Jongin’s old place, curling her fingers around the bare thighs of the girls around her. One put a cup against her lips as the other moved Mara’s hand further up her leg. By the time Chanyeol was able to tear his eyes away, Jongin was already halfway across the room, ascending the stairs to his bedroom.

“Fuck.” 

Pushing his way through the crowd and ignoring the calls to stay from the curious priestesses was probably one of the hardest things he ever had to do, but he persisted. Jongin’s sleeping quarters were quiet and smelled much better, like apples and cinnamon. Like him. He was already sitting at his vanity, pulling golden barrettes from his hair, angrily muttering under his breath. Chanyeol couldn’t catch a lot, but he caught the jist from what he did.

_“Fucking Fallon… not a damn doll…”_

It was nice to see that Jongin wasn’t specifically angry at him. Apparently, Jongin had some pent up anger for everyone. 

“Can I… um--sit?”

Jongin froze as if he forgot Chanyeol was standing in his doorway. Once over his shock, he shrugged. With lack of suggestion, Chanyeol picked the end of Jongin’s bed, closest to where he sat. “I’m not really sure where to start, but I think I owe you an apology.” The silence he received was perceived as an invitation to keep going. “I was rude that day, a-and I wasn’t thinking. I should never have said what I said, and if I knew how much it meant to you--”

“How shallow do you think I am?”

“W-What?” Chanyeol stuttered.

Jongin spun his chair around, his face dead serious. “How shallow do you think I am, Chanyeol?”

“I, um, not at all. At least… no. I don’t think you’re shallow.”

“Yet this whole time you think I’ve been avoiding you because you were shocked by my true form?”

Shit. Chanyeol didn’t even think of it that way. “No, that’s not what I mean.”

“I’m used to being the freak. It hurt when I was younger, but I’m not a child anymore.” He picked up one of the barrettes that he left out, toying with the golden butterfly. “Yet the only people who are kind to me still treat me like one.” Jongin lifted it to his hair, pinning back a chunk of his fringe that overtook his face. Chanyeol could see the tears dripping from his right eye now. His pure white eye. “But I’ve put up with it. I’ve let the priestesses dress me up. I allow my uncle and the Court tear me to pieces. And I’ve watched my mother turn a blind eye.” His freckles disappeared gradually and were replaced by the ancient writings. “Obviously I brought you here to put me on the throne, but at the same time… I hoped you could make me actually want it.”

Chanyeol had nothing to say, no witty response. He could only stare dumbly as Jongin’s halo formed and a mysterious wind fluffed his hair.

“When I do get the throne, which I will, you’ll leave. You’ll leave with your immunity, free to roam the galaxy and more. And I can’t stand it. I can’t fucking stand it.” He dropped his head into his hands, his shoulders shaking. “Even now, I can’t figure out what of all that makes me so goddamn angry. Your freedom, or… o-or the way you won’t be mine forever.”

An invisible force pulled Chanyeol towards Jongin before he truly had a plan on what he was supposed to do. All he knew was that Jongin was hurting, and he’d be a monster to let him do so alone. “I’m sorry,” he began, leaning against the vanity. He rested his hands in Jongin’s soft hair. The boy flinched at first, but he didn’t pull away. “I’m sorry you had to go this whole time by yourself. I can’t imagine… I just can’t even begin to think about where I’d be without my crew.” Fuck, he had no idea where to go from there. “I have to leave. Even if I wanted to stay, I need to return, but… what would stop you from coming with me?”

Jongin’s sniffles stopped. “W-What do you mean?” he asked, his voice tiny.

“Is there no one else your mother could title than you or your uncle?”

Jongin slowly straightened, hopelessly trying to dry his face. Chanyeol passed him a tissue. “If it goes to anyone on the Court, they’ll just do everything my uncle asks for anyway.”

“I’m talking about Mara, Jongin.”

“... Mara?” Jongin’s eyes turned glassy as if he drifted off into thought. “I mean… no. No, a priestess has never been Vilicus before.”

“Has never been, or can’t be?”

Jongin shook his head. “Has never been, and never will be. Priestesses were created to serve the Vilicus. To give one of them the crown, it would anger the Gods. It’s my duty, Chanyeol, and nothing can change that. It just hurts sometimes. Hurts, but it won’t kill me.”

Chanyeol’s hand was suddenly on Jongin’s face, brushing a tear away before it even got past the bridge of his nose. He was in his true form, but his vulnerability at the moment soothed the shock. “You’re so strong,” he whispered, bringing his face close to Jongin’s. “If it’s alright with you… I’ll visit.”

Jongin wrapped his arms around Chanyeol’s neck, bringing him in so their noses brushed. “I’d like that very much.” He tilted his head up and placed his lips on Chanyeol’s. Unlike the pecks he had given before, he didn’t pull away after brief contact. Most importantly, Chanyeol got the opportunity to reciprocate. He helped Jongin to his feet only to grab the back of his thighs and seat him on the vanity counter, putting them at more equal standing.

Jongin moved Chanyeol’s hands to his lower back as he locked him in with his legs. It was obvious that he wanted something more than a kiss.

Chanyeol associated the smell of apples and cinnamon with Jongin so much, he expected him to taste the same way. Though he was wrong, the bitter taste of alcohol was a welcome wake up call.

“You’re drunk,” he said after pulling away.

“Who the hell cares?” Jongin tried to go back in, and as much as it pained him, Chanyeol placed a hand over his lips.

“You left me hanging once. It’s only fair I do the same to you.”

_“I_ don't think that's fair,” Jongin whined.

Chanyeol laughed, ruffling his hair. “There’s a whole party going on outside. Let’s go enjoy it. And, if you can refrain from drinking,” he moved his hands to Jongin’s butt and squeezed. “I’ll reward you for it.”


	8. eight.

Jongin started off the whole ‘not drinking thing’ pretty strong. He declined cups handed to him by Mara and the other girls that Chanyeol learned to be Fallon, Seraphim, Throne, Avery, and… shit, there were so many. It was nice to see Jongin so committed to sleeping with him, but as the party raged… he forgot. Chanyeol wasn’t mad about it. There would be other opportunities, and this meant he could let loose as well.

By the time Chanyeol was four drinks in, Jongin lost count.

“It’s easier to have a good time without alcohol poisoning to worry about,” Mara said into Chanyeol’s ear as they watched Jongin and the other priestesses dance. 

“That doesn’t exist here?!”

Mara laughed and patted his chest. “For us, pretty boy. For us. You, on the other hand, should watch out.” She paused to take a sip of her drink. “You two made up very quick.”

“We have a lot in common.”

“That’s great to hear.” Mara’s eyes stayed trained on Jongin, her smile soft and sweet. “He’s such a precious little thing. I don’t want to see him as anything other than happy, you know?”

“Couldn’t agree more.” Chanyeol set his cup down. He’d had enough talk for the rest of the night. Jongin kept giving him eyes from across the floor as he grinded with two girls on either side of him, and he was done watching. “Should we join them?”

“I thought you’d never ask.”

Mara slid up behind a cute blonde and placed hands on her hips. Another girl with the brightest shade of red hair he’d ever seen sandwiched Mara in, leaving a space next to Jongin free for the taking. Before any of the other priestesses could think of it, Chanyeol took his chance. Jongin’s eyes were wide for a moment, but they quickly turned sultry when he realized what game they were playing. He moved Chanyeol’s hands to his bare waist and smiled. “I failed, by the way.”

“Don’t worry, me too.”

Jongin chuckled. “We can reschedule.”

Jongin’s body felt good moving against his, but ten times better under his finger tips. The sneak peek the crop top gave was addicting. He could spend hours exploring Jongin’s soft, golden skin and never get bored. An indescribable amount of time and drinks later, Mara shouted Chanyeol’s name.

“We’re going back to my room,” she yelled over the music, gesturing to the two girls clinging to her. “See you two tomorrow!”

Jongin pouted as she vanished. “I’m tired. I want to go to my room too.”

Chanyeol wasn’t exactly dying to leave, but his feet were begging for a break and he wasn’t sure what he could do without Mara or Jongin at his side. “Let’s go then.” He took him into his arms and snapped. 

In the sanctity of his room, Jongin’s head was still in Chanyeol’s chest as if trying to find a way in. “You’re getting better at that.”

“I’ve been practicing.”

“Mhm.”

Jongin’s face pressed in harder and Chanyeol finally realized he wasn’t being cute, he was struggling to stand. “Fuck,” he grunted as he moved him to his bed. “You drank too much.”

“It’s been a tough week,” he slurred, trying to get in his covers and struggling. Chanyeol took pity and flipped the comforter back for him. 

“Are you sure you want to go to bed like that?”

“Like what?”

“Like… all sweaty and gross.”

Jongin stopped squirming. “That’s so mean.”

Chanyeol rubbed the bridge of his nose, cursing his high tolerance. He never had to parent a drunk friend. The shitfaced baby was normally his place. “Alright. Let’s get you into some clean clothes at least.”

He tried the door next to Jongin’s bathroom, finding a closet packed to the brim with shoes. Chanyeol looked to a dresser similar to the one in his room next, but wasn’t surprised to not find any clothes. No way Jongin would have such a small place dedicated to clothes.

After trying every door in the room, Chanyeol wound back up at the bed, tapping his chin.

“Next room,” came a throaty and sleep slowed statement.

“Hmm?”

“Next room, idiot,” Jongin said, louder, as if he was waking up from an eight hour sleep instead of two minutes. “My closet.”

Chanyeol sighed. Of course. He should’ve known better. Since he couldn’t imagine the room in his mind’s eye, he had to enter into the party again. Even without the host it was still going strong. He knew if he looked too long, he’d get sucked it, so he kept his gaze trained on the ground as he entered the neighboring room.

The urge to roll his eyes came the moment he was exposed to a closet the size of Jongin’s bedroom with winding shelves, couches, a mini fridge, and a chandelier to top it all off. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Judging off sheer size, the whole thing could provide Jongin with a different outfit for the rest of his immortal life. Like, there was a whole section for purely pajamas. When Chanyeol stood at the start of the shelf, he couldn’t see the end.

Swallowing his disgust and tinge of jealousy, he grabbed a blue silk set with a small bear on the pocket of the top. He decided Jongin would look very cute in it.

Back in his room, said boy was fast asleep, his head buried in the pillows and legs spread from end to end. Sitting on the edge, Chanyeol tapped his shoulder. “I brought you clothes.”

Jongin moaned and brought his knees close to himself, muttering some unintelligible nonsense. “It’ll only take a second. Help me out here… please.”

After a few moments of seconds, Jongin flipped onto his back and propped himself up on his elbows. “Be quick.”

Chanyeol unbuttoned his pants first and felt as if he was pulling them down for forever. His legs were miles long, and soft too. He felt as if he should’ve been running his lips down and up them instead of lamely slipping pants back on. “Hips up.”

Jongin was nice and pliant in such a state. He did everything Chanyeol asked without hesitation until he was tucked back in, sound asleep. Breaths left his gently parted lips in a consistent rhythm. Even the occasional gentle snore was cute. He was just… precious. If only he stopped the both of them from drinking, he could be doing a lot more than just watching this masterpiece of a being sleep. 

Chanyeol figures he could stand there and pity his poor decisions for an eternity, but he might as well put himself out of his misery and retire to bed as well. Maybe he’d have dreams of what could’ve been, and while they would definitely not compare, they’d keep him satisfied. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this one’s so short


	9. nine.

Chanyeol has had quite the few weird awakenings during his time at the temple, but none quite as weird as waking up with his arms around a body he one, didn’t remember going to sleep with and two, didn’t remember cuddling. He sprang up but the body stayed in deep slumber. He cracked open the curtains around his bed to let light stream in at a small amount to see this stranger was no stranger at all. It was Jongin, still asleep even with a beam of light illuminating the top half of his face.

Chanyeol couldn’t say he was too surprised. He whipped the curtains open all the way and Jongin finally began to stir.

“Mhm,” he moaned. “Not yet.”

“Get up.” 

Jongin whined and flipped onto his stomach, taking a great portion of the blankets to submerge himself in. “I said not yet.”

Chanyeol decided he wasn’t dealing with this so early in the morning. He left his bed and stalked over to Jongin’s side. “My bed,” he started, whipping the comforters off and shoving his arms beneath his back and legs. “My rules.”

Jongin let out a noise halfway between a gasp and a yelp as Chanyeol hoisted him off the bed. “ _ Ass _ hole,” Jongin murmured as he was set on his feet only to plop back down on the bed. Chanyeol let him because at least he wasn’t lying down.

“When’d you come?”

“I don’t know. A few hours ago, I guess.”

Chanyeol crossed his arms over his chest. “Why?”

“I wanted to be with you.”

Well. That was cute. “I thought I made it clear sneaking into my room was not good.” Jongin may look absolutely kissable staring up at him through thick and quickly batting eyelashes, but Chanyeol just got past being treated as a doormat, and he rather liked it. 

“ _ I  _ thought this was different.”

“Why?”

Jongin shifted nervously and pulled the sleeves of the top Chanyeol dressed him in last night over his knuckles. Fucking hell. It was unfair for someone to be so adorable. “I thought we had a moment, but… I guess I was wrong.”

Chanyeol frowned. “Jongin…” he whispered, sinking onto one knee. He took Jongin’s hands into his own, sweater paws and all. “You are welcome in my bed anytime, but I would appreciate a warning first.”

“I’m sorry.” Jongin’s smile started out smile, but it grew with each passing millisecond. “I can do that from now on.”

Chanyeol puckered his lips and went for Jongin’s cheek only to be met with another pair of lips. He didn’t pull away, instead opting to melt into the kiss. Jongin threaded his fingers into his hair and pulled them both back down into bed. “Can we… can we follow through?” Jongin asked after breaking their kiss, breathless.

“With what, baby?” Chanyeol knew, but he figured teasing Jongin would be fun. He expected flushed cheeks and stammers, but Jongin pulled his neck down with hands tight around his nape so they could feel their breathing on each other.

“Fuck me, Park. Nice ‘nd hard.”

And to that, Chanyeol had not one objection.

~

Jongin was always pretty. Whether it be in his disguise or in his true form, the perfection of his physical attributes were unarguable. Any naysayers, though likely visually impaired, would eat their words if they ever saw Jongin the way Chanyeol currently was.

Fucked completely stupid.

His pajama shirt was bunched up, exposing his full torso, excess of it stuffed in his mouth. His cries of pleasure, though music to Chanyeol’s ears, were far too loud. If hallways were even used in the temple, he didn’t know, but he wasn’t about to risk someone like Beom over hearing and walking in out of curiosity or concern. 

After struggling to figure out what to do with his hands and exploring Chanyeol’s naked body thoroughly, Jongin rested his hands on the headboard as if searching for a way to stabilize himself against Chanyeol’s relentless and powerful thrusts.

His naked body glistened in a thin sheen of sweat. Upon the moment of disrobing him completely, Chanyeol was not disappointed to find that the freckles that decorated Jongin’s cheeks were also splattered from head to toe. Sparsely, but noticeable. He got around to kissing a reasonable amount, but he knew it would take some time until he got to all of them. Even if it took days, Chanyeol was dedicated to finish such a mission.

When Jongin began to reach his climax, he wasn’t afraid to show it. He finally touched Chanyeol again by wrapping fingers around his waist. Through his shirt and a tongue that hadn’t been used in a while, Jongin gurgled out a plea to cum. Chanyeol, nearing his end as well, didn’t plan on keeping him waiting. He fisted Jongin’s cock, which fit perfectly in his hand, barely peeking over the top, and teased a nipple in the meantime.

Jongin let go almost right away with barely any restraint. His back arched right off the bed with a muffled cry as white painted his chest. Some hit Chanyeol’s cheek, but he didn’t bother wiping it off. He was busy cumming himself, filling Jongin up to the max as he continued to murmur blissed out nothing. 

Chanyeol fell down on top of Jongin and pulled his shirt from his mouth, tired and 100% satisfied. Sex with Jongin was good. More than good. Great. He couldn’t fucking wait to explore more with him.

Jongin hugged him close, fitting his face in the nape of his neck. “Don’t pull out,” he whimpered against the shell of his ear. “I’m not ready to let you go yet.”

“Fine by me.”

Jongin was tight and warm. He would be a fool to make haste in escaping from him.

“You know what this means, right?”

Already hearing a mischievous edge to Jongin’s tired and scratchy voice, Chanyeol sighed. “No, I don’t. What does this mean?”

Jongin giggled, apparently unable to stop laughing at a joke he hadn’t even gotten out yet. “You really are my whore now.”

Chanyeol scoffed. “Is that so?” He snapped his hips up suddenly and without warning. His dick hadn’t fell flaccid yet so he knew for a fact he hit a spot inside Jongin that had been thoroughly abused. 

Jongin’s mouth fell open, laughter long gone. His eyes rolled back halfway into his head as he threw his arms out to grasp Chanyeol’s shoulders. “Ah, f-fuck… I was just joking-- _ ah! _ ” 

Though neither of them were rock hard, the sensitivity of it all was amazing. He could already see Jongin stiffening again, and as tired as he might have been, Chanyeol was still excited. Maybe he could get Jongin to ride him. Oh, what a sight that would be.

“You up for another round?”

Jongin swallowed thickly but nodded his head. “Hell yeah.”

Though his determination was admirable when Chanyeol did finally manage to get him on his lap, Jongin was out cold the moment he came for a third time, his head back in the crook his neck and his erratic breathing beginning to slow. He was still hard but because he considered himself decent, he pulled out and finished in his hand.

Exhausted, Jongin remained asleep the whole time. The bed sheets beneath them were mussed and wet with fluids and lube and Chanyeol himself felt absolutely disgusting. Sticky in all the wrong places. He wanted to get up and shower, but after putting Jongin through such a workout, he didn’t want to wake him up.

Chanyeol settled on a nap of his own considering he had not much of a choice. He leaned back into his pillows and readjusted to his comfort carefully. Jongin wasn’t light in his lap, but his weight was far from a burden. He was nice and warm as well, like a personal furnace. Chanyeol hugged his waist and massaged his head until he too was asleep.

~

“Oh that’s nasty.”

Chanyeol’s eyes fluttered open. First, he registered Jongin still fast asleep in his lap and that made him happy. Second, he noticed shadows outside his bed curtains and frowned at the one eye peeking in through a crack. 

“Seriously, Mara?” he grunted, only then noticing the scratchiness of his throat. “Go away.” He closed his eyes again, fully prepared to go back to his moments of bliss with Jongin, but it appeared as if the priestess had other plans.

“I would absolutely love to, but I have news. I would love for you to be decent when I give it.”

“Then come back in an hour.”

Mara’s full head popped into their space, and for some reason, Chanyeol wasn’t bothered. Maybe if he thought Jongin would be though, he would say something, but he knew he could care less. 

“I left my lovely priestesses for this. I’d appreciate a similar sacrifice from you.”

Chanyeol groaned, wondering if he should throw out a comment about how he didn’t ask her to do any of that, but he knew that if he did, they’d just go back and forth for lengthy amounts of time. Lengthy amounts of time that he could instead spend with Jongin.

“Fine. But I’m staying here and I’m staying like this.”

“Bastard.” Mara threw the partially soiled and discarded comforter over them and found a dry spot to sit on. Jongin finally began to arise, moaning and tightening in Jongin’s lap. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and smacked his lips. With his cheek against Chanyeol’s chest, he stared at Mara with an unreadable expression. “Afternoon, baby.” 

He scowled. “Why are you here?”

Mara beamed. “You’re always so nasty when you wake up, you know that?”

“That doesn’t answer my question,” Jongin huffed. 

Mara pulled her legs up to sit criss crossed on the bed despite her toga. Chanyeol being the gentleman he was kept his eyes averted, but there was an obvious lack of underwear. If someone told him four months ago that he’d be in bed with two inhumanly gorgeous sun deities, one of them in his lap, the other shameless, he would’ve called them crazy. Even he, with his high body count, never imagined himself scoring this high.

“I wasn’t trying to, but… if you must know I’m here to talk to your boy toy.” Mara seemed done wasting time, looking to Chanyeol right away. “As you know, you’ve got your first meeting with the Court tomorrow yada yada, but… Beom’s informed me that he wants to meet with you before. One on one.”

Chanyeol’s eyes widened. “Me?”

“Unfortunately. That means neither Jongin or I will be there to help. While I doubt he’ll even try to lay a hand on you, he is going to try and make you say something you’ll regret. What? I don’t know. I would just advise you to be on high alert.”

“Beom can’t make me not come with,” Jongin said as Chanyeol was still processing everything. “I’m not leaving them alone together.”

“You don’t have a choice,” Mara said, her voice soft. “Beom oversees the Court. He wasn’t there for when Chanyeol was brought in so he has every right to demand a one on one evaluation. Legally, I mean.”

Chanyeol gulped. Jongin pulled the blankets tighter around their bodies and dove deeper into thought. “Can we listen in?”

“If you wish to forfit Chanyeol’s spot.”

Jongin sighed. “This is annoying. That ass always finds a way to ruin things somehow. I’m sick of it.”

“Well…” Chanyeol said, his brain finally focusing. “I don’t think… I don’t think it’ll be that bad.” He couldn’t even tell if he was lying to himself or not. Beom seemed harmless enough and murder didn’t seem to be all that accepted in the Temple. If all he had to do was watch his mouth, Chanyeol thought he was getting a pretty good deal.

Mara’s eyes narrowed. “Are you sure about that? I mean this is Beom we’re talking about here.”

“You’re the one that said he can’t physically hurt me. Mentally, I think I’m strong enough to hold my own.”

Mara and Jongin looked at each other before simultaneously shrugging. “If he says so.”

“You’re right.” Mara got on her knees and put one leg outside the curtain. “Meeting’s in three hours and I’ll come pick you up. In the meantime,” she winked, “you two enjoy yourselves.”


	10. ten.

Beom was waiting in his study with a book in his lap and glasses perched on his nose. It was a little sad, but Chanyeol could see a resemblance between him and his nephew now. Small but there in the curve of his nose and hooded, focused eyes. He cleared his throat and Beom looked up, his face seeming to fall at the sight of Chanyeol.

“Took you long enough.” He marked his place in his book and gestures to the arm chair across from him. “Sit.”

Chanyeol obeyed, not willing to put up a fight. The faster he got this over with, the faster he’d be back with Jongin. “What is it you wanted to talk about with me, sir?”

“We have a lot to get to. Allow me to start with a story.” He crossed his legs and removed his glasses. The bags under his eyes showed exhaustion and the more he looked, the more Chanyeol saw Jongin’s eyes. He hated it. “Is that alright?”

“If it’s necessary.”

Beom nodded, lips tightening. “It starts with my father, a young Vilicus, and me and my sister. The two candidates for his crown. For our whole lives, our father pit us together in various challenges to prove our worthiness. Killing game for our meals, winning hearts, any insane thing you can think of. Obviously, she won over me, as the strongest and most charming. But Cressa never had the brains. I guess that was the one thing I received from my father.”

“That’s quite the story.”

Beom’s face hardened and Chanyeol shrunk back a little. Maybe sassing was off the table. “I’m afraid Jongin is too similar. Strong, charming… but lacking brains.”

Chanyeol’s nose scrunched. He didn’t like what he was hearing. Not one bit. “I don’t think you know what you’re talking about.”

“I know exactly what I’m talking about. It’s you who is in the wrong. I mean, you’ve known my nephew for maybe three months? He is a stranger and so are you.”

Beom was wrong. Beom was completely and utterly wrong, but now was not the time for Chanyeol to lay it on him. His jaw flexed with the myriad of words he could be spewing at the moment. “What is your point, sir?”

“I need you to leave.”

“… what?”

“You haven’t belonged here and you never will, Earthen. I should’ve known Jongin was lying about you this whole time. You’ve overstayed your welcome and I don’t want you here anymore.”

Chanyeol frowned. “That’s not your decision.”

Beom barked out a curt laugh before slapping his hand over his mouth. “You’re stronger than I remember. More confident. If only you were here in different circumstances… I think we could get along.”

“I’m not leaving.”

“I didn’t give you a choice.”

Chanyeol fisted his pants. Oh how he’d love to unleash, just a little bit. “You have no power to force me and nothing to make me want to.” He sprung to his feet, already tuning this conversation from his memory and replacing it with the feeling of Jongin’s skin on his. “I’ll be leaving now. Thank you for wasting my time.”

His raised his fingers, seconds away from snapping when Beom figures out the one way to make him stay.

“Mara has you here on account of your family, doesn't she?” Chanyeol stiffened. “Something about, if you leave, they’ll be jailed. If you succeed in their stupid little mission, you’ll be given immunity. Not only can I override that, but I can do better than her. Leave and your friends will live to see another day.”

Air left Chanyeol’s lungs. Beom wasn’t bluffing. He was far too confident. With Jongin’s smile slowly fading in his mind, Chanyeol sat back down. He refused to meet Beom’s gaze. “I don’t know how.”

Beom smirked. “I can help you, boy. Don’t worry.”

Chanyeol inhaled deeply. He wanted to see his friends so badly. Speaking of them without being able to see them was simply a punch to the gut. Maybe he was being over dramatic, but he struggled to even remember Kyungsoo’s heart shaped smile or Sehun’s ever-present bitch face. Yes, he wanted to be with them, but not at Jongin’s expense. “Why… w-why do you want to be Vilicus so bad? It’s your sister and your nephew, that should be enough.” He paused when he felt his voice about to break. “Why isn’t that enough for you?”

Beom’s lips turned down, accentuating his wrinkles. “You know nothing about power.”

“I’ve watched power break my home planet to pieces,” Chanyeol hissed. “I think I know plenty.”

“The only power you’ve seen is selfish. Nothing but self preservation and misconstrued views of democracy and freedom.” Beom smiled, but the look was far from heart warming or even the slightest bit attractive. “If I was Vilicus instead of my sister, Earth never would’ve fallen because they, as well as the rest of the universe, would be citizens of the Sun.”

Chanyeol’s eyes narrowed. “You want domination.”

“I want an end to chaos and unfortunately, that entails control.” Beom stood up suddenly and brushed invisible dust from his thighs. “But we have no time to be discussing this. We should be arranging your departure and immunity—”

“No,” spat Chanyeol. “Sit back down. I refuse to leave until I’m satisfied with this conversation.”

Beom scoffed. “You’ve always been quite the barterer, haven’t you?” He plopped down. “So be it. What more do you have to discuss?”

“What are your plans with Jongin once I’m gone?”

“Huh… good question.” Beom scratched his stubbly chin. “Well there isn’t any guarantee Vilicus will become mine once you leave. But then again, it’s Cressa who has to make the decision between me or handing her son an eternity of misery with a Court who will do nothing but try and undermine him. I don’t like to daydream, but I like to think the outcome, without you at least, is obvious. And once I have the crown… I’ll make sure him and that priestess bitch who’s always around him will be out of my hair.”

“You think that’s going to make me want to leave?”

“Again, I have no control over your future, Earthen, but you have a decision to make as well. The boy you’ve known for three months or the ones who became your family. Who have stood with you through thick and thin and are currently running themselves ragged trying to find you.”

Chanyeol’s inhale was sharp. He hadn’t even bothered to think about the worry his friends must’ve been cracking under. Oh no, oh no, oh no. “Fine.” He was really about to do this. He hated every part of it, but he had enough time being selfish. “I’ll go. I’ll go and never come back, but… b-but if I do, you have to promise that  _ if  _ you become Vilicus, you won’t lay a hand on Jongin or Mara.”

There was no way the current Vilicus would choose Beom’s deranged ass over Jongin. No way, but Chanyeol had to be sure. He had to be sure Jongin and Mara were safe without him there to look over them. The idea of never coming back and leaving without the boy he loved at his side stung, especially with all Jongin confused in him. Maybe, just maybe, Jongin could learn to be happy where he was. For both of their sakes, he really hoped he could.

“I—”

“Both of them are great, genuine, and spectacular people. I honestly pity you for being unable to recognize that. If,”  _ when,  _ “Jongin becomes Vilicus, I know he will be a hundred times greater than you could ever be. What the universe needs is not a dictator. It needs someone who cares. Someone who knows the true meaning of power. That’s him.”

Beom stayed emotionless as Chanyeol continued, but he noticed an eye twitch by the time he fell silent. “That was beautiful,” he grunted. “Now go say your goodbyes. I want you out as soon as possible.”

~

“So? How’d it go?”

Now back in Jongin’s living room, Chanyeol was met by nothing but enthusiasm from Mara and Jongin. In his departure, Mara had put a few tiny braids into Jongin’s hair, tying in dainty, multi-colored flowers. Just the sight of them was agonizing. He must’ve been doing a bad job hiding it because their grins were quick to falter.

“Chanyeol? What’s the matter?”

Maybe it was greed. Maybe it was selfishness, but Chanyeol didn’t want them to know just yet. Beom said he had about two hours, and… he didn’t want those to be miserable, or filled with arguments. If he could enjoy Jongin and Mara at their bust and probably two minutes of their worst, it would be the best send off he could think of. 

“Nothing. I’m just tired.” He forced a small smile which was eaten up right away. Shoulders fell and breaths were released. Chanyeol slipped onto the couch and pulled Jongin into his lap, absorbing his warmth.

“I can’t blame you. He’s so exhausting.” Jongin pecked his cheek sweetly. “You’re so brave for even going.”

Chanyeol rubbed Jongin’s chin and chuckled absentmindedly. Maybe this wasn’t the best idea. He didn’t know how he was supposed to keep this act up when his heart was melting away. If only Jongin could come with him. If only Mara could take the throne she deserved.

“You don’t seem all that fine, pretty boy,” Mara said through pursed lips. “What’s really bothering you?”

He froze. Who did he think he was fooling? Yes, he had only known Jongin and Mara for a handful of months, but they’d seen him at his highs and his lows. They knew him inside out. They knew him like family. “I… I miss my friends,” he finally let out. It wasn’t the whole truth, but at least it was some of it.

Jongin’s body tended in his hold. “A lot?”

He chuckled wryly. “A lot.”

Mara’s nose and lips scrunched as she leaned back in the chair across from them. “I forget why you agreed to be here sometimes,” he whispered. “I like to think you’re happier now, but of course you’re going to miss what we took from you. I just… I just wish we could bring them in further past the gates”

“You can’t?”

She shook her head. “While I’m sure your friends have hearts of gold, their blood has none in it. Unless you’re natives like Jongin and I, the gates are the cut-off without ichor.”

Chanyeol almost thought he found a solution, but his hopes climbed too fast. He slumped back and Jongin’s hands tightened around his abdomen. “If only I could give them some of my blood.”

Jongin and Mara laughed, but Chanyeol didn’t say it like a joke.

Swallowing down the last of her giggles, Mara stood and readjusted her toga. “Well… now that I see you’re okay, I should get back to my priestesses. Bye, pretty boy.” She came over and kissed Jongin’s forehead after brushing some of his fringe to the side. “Bye, baby.”

Jongin hummed as she disappeared, leaving them alone. “Finally.” Jongin readjusted himself to straddle Chanyeol’s lap. “I love her, but I’ve been thinking about you non-stop since you left.” He began to nip at his neck, but something didn’t feel right. Something apart from the lies.

“Can I see your true form?”

“Why would you want to see that?”

Chanyeol shrugged. Even he didn’t know. “Just do.”

Lips thinning, Jongin pulled away. He was changed in the blink of an eye, and Chanyeol realized why he asked. He ran his thumb under Jongin’s right eye, across the ancient writing. It was smooth as the rest of him as if tattooed on. “What do they mean?”

“Do we have to talk about this now?”

“Yes.” Jongin knew Chanyeol inside and out, but he sometimes felt as if there were so many things mysterious about Jongin he felt guilty to not be aware of. “Please.”

Jongin sighed. “Fine.” He pointed to his right eye. “Amicus.” Then his left. “Solis.”

“What does it mean?”

Jongin squirmed around like he was nervous. “Chanyeol…”

“Jongin,  _ please _ .”

He exhaled deeply again. “Kind sun. It means kind sun in your language. Every blood relative of the Vilicus has them as a supposed glimpse into their rule. My mother’s is ‘animosus’. Brave. My uncle is ‘vehemen’. Powerful and violent. The Court prefers his over mine since it is domination they desire.”

“Oh my…”

Jongin suddenly slapped his hands on Chanyeol’s cheeks and squeezed. “Can we please stop talking about this?”

Finally recognizing this was most likely an insecurity of Jongin’s, Chanyeol let it go. He let Jongin kiss his neck and he was soon fucking himself freely on Chanyeol’s lap. He wished he could focus on it enough to give Jongin the same kind of pleasure he was currently giving, but his mind was elsewhere. 

It was insane to think of. Someone as attractive as Jongin on his lap, and he couldn’t even give him the time of day.

Jongin finished up soon and moved off Chanyeol’s still painfully erect cock. His cheeks were pink and his breathing was shallow. Tears brimmed his eyes, but he wasn’t swimming in the same aftershocks of pleasure that he had been their last time together. “Something’s wrong with you,” he said softly. “Are you seriously not going to tell me?”

“It’s not important,” he reassured, cupping Jongin’s face. “Now, do you mind getting me off?”

Jongin was getting too close to pressing the right buttons that would tip Chanyeol right over the edge. There was still half an hour until Beom was coming. Jongin sunk to the floor and Chanyeol guided his lips around his dick. He struggled to fit the girth, but his gurgles and gags were too cute. Cute enough to tear Chanyeol from his head. He pushed Jongin down in one swift movement. His surprise was evident at first. Wretched shut eyes and pretty, but more intense gags. 

It took some thinking to realize, but Jongin must’ve been a virgin before Chanyeol got to him. It wasn’t like he had many male options, and he was incredibly eager and inexperienced. Chanyeol was happy to be the one to show him the ropes.

Jongin soon learned to breathe through this nose. Chanyeol loosened the fist he had in his hair and began to guide him in bobbing his head. Jongin’s mouth was warm and tight around him. Perfect. 

“I’m going to cum,” he groaned, arching his hips up. Jongin didn’t unlatch. Instead opting to keep his steady pace. Color Chanyeol surprised. “You want to swallow?”

Jongin looked up at him, eyes big and glassy. He picked up the pace and he took that as a ‘yes’, threw his head back, and came down Jongin’s throat with a guttural moan. Moments later, Jongin stood on his knees, his tongue hanging from his lips.

“That didn’t taste good,” he said, climbing back into Chanyeol’s lap.

Wrapping his arms around him, Chanyeol laughed. “What did you expect?”

Jongin pouted. “Not that.”

“So it was bad?” Chanyeol asked it in a non-serious tone, but his ago was about to be seriously bruised if Jongin agreed.

“No. I liked it.”

“Then why are you complaining?”

“Shut up.” Jongin nuzzled into Chanyeol’s nape, his words muffled. Silently, he carried the both of them to get washed up. He hoped the gesture seemed caring, but he just really didn’t want Beom walking in on them.

Chanyeol buttoned his pants since Jongin took care of most his mess and started a bath as soon as he set Jongin down on the counter.

“Are you going to join me?” Jongin asked, bare legs swinging. 

“Maybe.”

Jongin smiled, liking the suggestive tone instead of the literal meaning. 

Chanyeol was settling him in the warm, bubbly, apple and cinnamon scented water when a call came from the lower level.

_ “Chanyeol!” _

Jongin’s eyebrows knitted in confusion, not yet releasing his arms around Chanyeol’s neck. “Is that… is that my uncle?”

Chanyeol gulped thickly. This was it. “Oh he’s probably here to finish our conversation. I-I cut it short to be with you.”

Jongin frowned. “…okay. Just, go back to his study, or something. I don’t like him in my room.”

Chanyeol nodded, despising the way Jongin didn’t beg for him to stay despite having no reason to. He kissed his forehead and stalked out, trying to keep his breathing and level as possible. Sure enough, Beom along with three other men were staring up at him from the middle of the room. Oh gods.

“Ready to go, Earthen?” Beom asked. His voice was loud enough to reach Chanyeol, but not enough to hit Jongin behind the bathroom door. It was like he knew. “Your family is waiting.”


	11. eleven.

Beom brought Chanyeol to a staircase. A familiar, golden staircase. One that he could not forget, even if he wanted to. He couldn’t see the bottom, the same way he couldn’t see the top when he stood at the bottom what seemed like an eternity ago. For some reason, he never pictured himself descending them. Never considered it a possibility. He knew his family was waiting at the bottom, just like Beom said, but the strangest part of it all was that he wasn’t overjoyed. He was barely excited.

Chanyeol breathed out slowly, telling himself this would all change when he saw them. The only thing weighing him down at the moment was guilt.

“Are we going to walk?”

“You can transport yourself. Depends on how eager you are to leave.”

Ah.

Beom was trying to make this seem like Chanyeol’s decision instead of the blackmail it was.

Fitting.

“Let’s get this over with.”

“After you.”

Chanyeol sighed and snapped his fingers, thinking of the combat boots he abandoned so long ago. When he opened his eyes, there they were, in all their beat-up and worn glory. Just the sight of them was every bit as soothing as donning his leather jacket once more. But they weren’t the best thing about being at the bottom of the stairs. No, that accomplishment belonged to four men standing a distance away, looking unashamedly out of place in the white light.

“Ch-Chanyeol?” Baekhyun spoke first, which was no surprise. He took a brave step forward, followed by another and another and another until he was in a full on sprint. Chanyeol didn’t move, but he extended his arms. In the last seconds of his run, Baekhyun jumped and Chanyeol caught him easily, wrapping his arms tightly around him.

They tumbled to the ground. Chanyeol’s head received the brunt of the fall, but the pain wasn’t enough to distract him. Millions of pent up emotions spilled out of him into Baekhyun’s neck. The weight upon him gradually increased as Sehun, Minseok, and Kyungsoo piled on, crying like children.

“We thought you were dead,” said Kyungsoo after he mustered the breath to speak a sentence cleanly. “Oh… fucking shit… it’s so so so so so good to see you, Cap.”

“Like I could be taken down so easily.” It was a struggle to fit them all in his arms, but he managed the best he could. He regretted ever hesitating to see them because the joy that had his heart pumping faster than normal warmed him from head to toe. “Oh I missed you all. I missed you so much.”

Baekhyun carefully unwrapped himself from Chanyeol, opting to straddle his lap and look down as he wiped the last of the tears from his eyes. They all knew they were being watched. Beom’s eyes were like lasers on Chanyeol’s back, but he was so very not important at the moment. “What the hell is this place anyway? Some guards pulled us from a club on Jupiter and we recognized their uniforms from Cosmic Railway when they brought you up. We weren’t given much of an explanation either.”

“Jeez… I thought I taught you all better than this.”

Sehun laughed. “You have no idea how desperate we were.”

Minseok nodded, agreeing. “We were terrified you were in danger.” He brushed Chanyeol’s cheek with his knuckles and smiled. “I’m so happy to see you’re safe.”

Chanyeol grasped his hand, squeezed, and didn’t let go. “This is the Temple of Apollo. I was brought here because I was apparently chosen by the gods. Can you believe that?”

“You?” Baekhyun scoffed. “Don’t lie.”

“How else would you explain this?” He threw his arms up, gesturing to the inhuman beings behind them, the never ending staircase, and the room with no dimensions. “I mean, you’re in the Sun right now. Anyway… my time is up. I can return to life with you guys.”

“Ah c’mon, why’d they bring you here? You can’t leave us with such an ominous answer after all this waiting!”

What a story that would be. How could he tell the truth without bringing up Jongin? He feared that if he did, if he said his name out loud again, the second thoughts would return and this reunion would no longer be so happy. “They… they just wanted my help. That’s it.” 

Baekhyun’s face scrunched. “You’re lying.”

“Maybe I am. Can we just go?”

“So easily?” Kyungsoo jutted his chin out at Beom and his men. “Don’t you want to say goodbye?”

Chanyeol had so many goodbyes he wished to say, but none to anyone in the general vicinity. “No. The quicker we leave, the better. I’ll explain everything in Noir.” He pushed Baekhyun off and pulled him up, figuring if he got the pilot, the rest would follow along in fear of being left behind. He just had to go. He had to go before Jongin left his bath, before he realized Chanyeol was acting so weird because he wasn’t coming back to him. 

“Chanyeol?”

And just like that… he was too slow.

Baekhyun stopped moving even though Chanyeol tried to pull him along, pretending he didn’t hear anything. But of course… he didn’t budge. Chanyeol too was stunned out of his wits the first time he set eyes on Jongin. Him side by side with Mara was nothing short of a dangerous concoction. Gulping, he finally let himself turn around. Jongin stood on the last few stairs, mid-descent. He was wrapped in a silk nightgown that did nothing to shield the fact he was nude underneath. Water dripped from his hair, but the flowers Mara weaved into it near the scalp stayed put. Crushed because of Chanyeol’s assault on them, but they persevered nicely. 

His eyebrows were downturned and his lips gaping. He was… he was… oh dammit he was so beautiful.

“Chanyeol?” he repeated, moving down to the last step. “What’s going on?”

“This is none of your business,” said Beom. “Go back to your room.”

“I didn’t ask you!” Jongin swung his head from Beom to Chanyeol, eyes wide and struggling to fit betrayal, confusion, and hurt all at once. “Chanyeol, please, what’s going on? Who are all these men?”

“We’re his friends.” It was Sehun who answered because Chanyeol’s brain was currently short circuiting. He wanted this to be a dream so bad. He wanted to pinch himself and wake up in his cot inside Noir with nothing but faint and sweet memories of Jongin and Mara. Nothing of the decision it took to leave them behind. “Who the hell are you?”

“His… h-his friends?” Jongin’s voice cracked. “That--wait--Chanyeol… are you l-leaving?”

How could he confirm that? How could he tell Jongin that he was leaving after all the promises he made? “Jongin, you don’t understand. This isn’t what it seems.”

“Then what is it?” Jongin advanced ever so slowly, his steps slow and cautious as if he was making his way through a minefield. Mara trailed a few paces behind, her hand clasped tightly around her mouth. “Then what the hell is it?”

“He’s coming home.” Baekhyun stepped in front of Chanyeol in a way he assumed was supposed to be comical. He would’ve laughed at the obvious height disparity, but he wasn’t feeling much happiness at the moment. “Coming to the home you took him from.”

“I’m not asking  _ any  _ of you.” Jongin’s pupils melted into the whites of his eyes, beginning his transformation. Shocked, Baekhyun took a step back. Minseok even gasped. Chanyeol knew it wasn’t Jongin’s intent to scare them. He was losing his grasp on himself. “I’m asking you.” The finger he threw at Chanyeol was harsh and accusatory. “Now answer me. Answer me right now.”

Beom made it clear that he wasn’t to reveal his blackmail or his friends would be struck down where they stood. Chanyeol wished he could tell the truth, point out Beom’s bluff, but he wasn’t willing to take that risk. No matter how much the tears that dripped from Jongin’s eyes hurt. “I-I’m leaving, Jongin. That’s it.”

“N-No,” Mara stammered. “Chanyeol, you can’t, you haven’t--”

“He’s been relieved of his duties.” Beom’s voice was infuriating and Chanyeol hated the way he thought any of this was his business. He had no right to be here, to be witnessing any of this, much less chiming in when he wasn’t needed. “I’ve granted him and his friends immunity. After all, that’s all he wanted. It was you two who decided to dangle it over his head like a prize he couldn’t access. I mean, truly, how long did you plan to keep him here?” The mysterious wind that tousled Jongin’s hair became irritated, whipping the alabaster locks around his head and halo in a less than gentle manner. “If it is a pet you desired, Jongin, I’m sure your mother can fix a more willing suitor.”

Jongin fisted the ends of his robe. It took all of him to not turn around and break his uncle’s face into a million little pieces, but he knew that would be letting him win. After all, he loved nothing more than seeing Jongin unhappy at his hand. “You don’t have to listen to anything he says,” Jongin whispered. “They’re all empty threats, Chanyeol. Please.” He looked up, face wet and chin trembling. “Please don’t leave me.”

Baekhyun grabbed Chanyeol’s hand and he decided that he must be in some sort of awful hell, punished for his life of crime. With a hold on Baekhyun’s shoulder, he slipped from his hold and walked around him. He held Jongin’s face and wiped the new set of oncoming tears away. “I-I have to go. I told you… I told you that I would have to eventually.” Jongin’s whole face crumbled before he hid it in Chanyeol’s chest. He gripped the lapels of his jacket roughly as he sobbed. “I wish I could take you with me. I wish… I wish things were different.”

“Don’t go, don’t go, don’t go,” he kept repeating himself life a mantra and all Chanyeol could do was hold him tighter. There were more pairs of judgemental eyes on them now, but he didn’t care. “I can’t do this without you.”

“You can. If anyone can, it’s you.” Chanyeol put one hand in his hair and one on the small of his back. “You’ll be strong for me, won’t you? Or…” he glanced over to Mara. He was still a firm believer that the Vilicus’s crown would be in a safe place in her hands, but maybe this wasn’t the best time to bring it up. “Nevermind. I just… I need to go.” He needed Beom to keep his dirty hands off his friends. “I need to go, but just know that if it was up to me, you’d come with me. I’d never leave your side.” Tears of his own were returning, dropping down onto Jongin’s still trembling shoulders. “You’d never be alone again.”

Jongin’s cries only increased. Chanyeol was willing to stand there and wait it out, but Beom had different plans.

“Alright, Jongin, that’s enough.” Beom clapped his hands once and two guards were now coming their way. One pulled Jongin harshly back with a fist in his hair while the other came to stand between them.

“Hey!” Chanyeol could barely peer around the robust man’s form, but he could hear Jongin’s exclamations of pain. “Let him go!”

“The faster you leave, Earthen, the less people are going to get hurt. Do you understand?”

Minseok tried to tug Chanyeol away, his hands tight around his forearm. He looked at him and there was fear in his eyes. All their eyes. They could hear the threat on Beom’s voice without even knowing who he was and wanted to leave. Maybe they were right. Chanyeol drew this out as long as he could. He began to take a few steps backward with his friends. The further away he stepped, the more he could see of the people he was leaving behind.

Mara still hadn’t moved an inch, her face incredibly blank but still pained at the same time. A guard stood close by, just in case she decided to lash out, but Chanyeol knew she wouldn’t. She was far too hurt to even comprehend it. 

The other man dragged Jongin all the way back to where Beom stood, holding him in place. He was screaming and kicking in an effort to get out. Chanyeol wanted so very bad to help, to knock his captor to the floor and beat him unrecognizable, but Beom’s retaliation was easily predictable. He reassured his desertion with the fact that if they were to actually harm Jongin, they would have hell to pay from his mother. The only pain Jongin was experiencing at the moment, well, that was at Chanyeol’s hand.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered, well aware Jongin was too distant to hear. “I love you.”

And then he entered Noir, turning his back on the Temple.


	12. twelve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow... its done. this has been quite the journey with lots of ups and downs but i hope you guys enjoyed it as much as i did. i truly truly loved writing this mainly because i got to gush abt how pretty jongin is which is a favorite passtime of mine lol. but jokes aside, this is probably my favorite chankai i've ever written, maybe even my favorite of my fics in general, and i'm happy i got to share it with all of you.
> 
> pls don't forget to leave comments or kudos. i appreciate u all so very much!
> 
> see u soon with a new story <3

Noir was quiet.

Silence was never bad, but it didn’t belong in Noir. She was used to parties and drinking and laughter. A week since Chanyeol returned and she had been denied her fun and games time and time again.

If the captain wasn’t in the mood to party, no one could.

Chanyeol resorted to moping around the ship, going from his room to the bathroom to the kitchen and back to his room in that order every few hours. He didn’t talk very much to the crew members he claimed to miss so much, and when he did, his answers were short and curt. Somehow, they were more worried now than they were when he was missing. 

It was time to do something about it.

Baekhyun volunteered to try first and sat in the dining room around the same time Chanyeol returned for his second and final meal of the day. He noticed him at the table, huffed, and looked away. Baekhyun scowled. He didn’t like being ignored.

“Chanyeol!” He stood up, hoping to make himself slightly more noticable. “Please come sit.”

“Why?” It was weird to hear his voice again after such a long time. It was deep and scratchy with misuse. 

“We have to talk.”

Chanyeol looked him up and down twice before going ahead and disappearing into the kitchen. Baekhyun was ready to fall back in his chair and give up before he even started when Chanyeol returned to sit across from him, beer in hand. “What do you want?” he asked, popping the cap off. “I want to get back to my nap.”

“You’re not well.”

“No shit,” Chanyeol scoffed as he took a big swig from the bottle. “What’s your point?”

“How can we help you? How can we make you happy again?”

“This isn’t your problem.” Chanyeol wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Baekhyun didn’t know why, but he was only now realizing how bad he looked. Though he did nothing but sleep in his room, his face was tired and aged. Stubble peppered his face and his hair appeared uncombed. It wasn’t like Chanyeol to let go of his good looks. They were his favorite part about himself. “I made my decision, and I have to fix it myself. You guys can stop--”

“There’s no way we can turn a blind eye to this anymore, Chanyeol,” said Baekhyun. “Just let us help you. Please.”

Chanyeol blinked dumbly. “I don’t even know how you can.”

“You can start with talking about it.” Baekhyun reached across and slipped his fingers into Chanyeol’s. “No one knows what happened in the Sun, but maybe if we did… we could get an idea of what you need.”

Chanyeol had been avoiding the topic of the Temple on purpose. It hurt too much. Every time he so much as thought of Jongin’s smile or remembered the way he pleaded with him not to go, a new wave of sadness attempted to drown him. But Baekhyun was horribly right. The longer he bottled everything up, the worse it was going to get. “Fine.” Somewhere deep down, he hoped his sorrows would’ve drowned him before he even got to this point. Life without Jongin wasn’t as good as it was before.

He began to recount his story from his arrest to present day, stopping every once in awhile to calm down or stop crying. Baekhyun’s eyes watered a few times as well as it hurt him to see his friend so broken.

Baekhyun squeezed Chanyeol’s hand, his lips a thin line. “He sounds amazing.”

“He is.”

“Like the perfect match for you.”

“Yeah.”

Baekhyun’s throat tightened. “Do you… do you regret your choice?”

“No.” Chanyeol’s initial hesitation stung in a way that his answer couldn’t heal. “If I stayed, you guys would’ve been hurt and I wouldn’t be able to live with myself then. So… no… I don’t regret my choice, but I really wish he was here too.” He dropped his head in his hands. “It was all he wanted, you know? He just wanted to get out. I-I was his last chance for escape and I just… left him.”

“I’m sure he isn’t angry with you.”

Chanyeol laughed wryly. “You just don’t know him. I imagine he’s sticking pins and needles into a me doll at the moment.” 

“So he’s petty. Just like you.”

Smiling, Chanyeol nodded. “Just like me.”

Baekhyun never thought he’d see the day Chanyeol so torn up about another person. He’s had countless flings and a handful of serious relationships. The grief that came at the end of each one never lasted longer than three days, maximum. As Earthens, they knew firsthand how short life was and how stupid it was to waste it wallowing in misery, no matter the situation. When Baekhyun’s mother died, he didn’t even cry. He was too busy trying to figure out how he and his family were going to eat that night.

“He really was pretty, huh?” Chanyeol looked the happiest he’d been in weeks when he talked of Jongin. Baekhyun figured the best medicine at the moment was to keep that feeling alive. “I was so shocked, I could barely think.”

“He has that effect,” Chanyeol mused, hearts in his eyes. “All I could do was stare the first time I saw him. The novelty never wore off either.”

“And that girl he was with that day? Was that Mara?”

“Mhmm.”

“Very beautiful.”

Baekhyun and Chanyeol were never so polite while discussing attractive people. They were not vulgar either, but the point was that this was weird for them. Baekhyun was trying not to offend considering his friend was far more serious about Jongin than anyone else he bedded. Chanyeol, on the other hand, was too lovesick to even register the way he was talking.

“Mara’s the best. I bet she’s sticking in needles of her own at the moment.”

“Honestly, I hated them at first.” Chanyeol perked up, jaw flexing. “I thought they were trying to take you away from me, from us. I mean… I’ve seen some of your exes. A lot of them have been borderline insane, but none of them have ever made you look as regretful as he did. I never had to fear you finding someone and leaving all of us… until then.”

“Baekhyun--”

“No, it’s okay. I’m fine.” The way he wiped at his eyes said something different. “You were in love, but chose us anyway. It just… it doesn’t feel as good as I thought it would.”

“I would never leave you guys.”

“But you act like you hate being here.”

“I already told you, I don’t regret my choice. I only wish he was here too.”

Baekhyun sighed. “I know, I know. I’m sorry, I guess I’m the slightest bit jealous.” He massaged the bridge of his nose. “I’m used to being the most important thing in your life.”

“You still  _ are,  _ Baek. All of you are, but he is too.”

Baekhyun felt childish, and he knew he was being selfish. Chanyeol was going to find someone one day. They all were. He just didn’t think the day would come soon. Maybe if Jongin came around twenty years later when he was satisfied with the life he lived with Shadow and Noir, he’d send Chanyeol off into the sun with a kiss on the cheek and a hug, but now… he simply wasn’t ready to let him go.

That didn’t mean he wanted to see him miserable either.

“You never did mention exactly why Jongin couldn’t come with you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Mara, the priestess, it sounds like the perfect job for her. She has the same values as Jongin and loves her priestesses enough to stay with them.”

“A priestess has never been Vilicus.”

“And we weren’t supposed to live past the age of ten.” Baekhyun shrugged. “Just because something is what we expect doesn’t mean it can or won’t happen. I want the next ruler of the galaxy to be better, but I don’t know how I feel about the next and better ruler being a young, heartbroken boy.” He paused to collect his thoughts. “Hatred for his position could turn into hatred for his people.”

“Jongin would never--” Chanyeol stopped himself the moment he realized how foolish he sounded. Baekhyun was right. If Jongin became Vilicus, he’d be chained to a throne he never really wanted. While he can’t ever see him hating his people, the same people he wanted to protect from his uncle, the chances of him retreating into the background like his mother did were high. “I-I don’t know what to do, Baek.”

Baekhyun pursed his lips and rubbed his thumb over Chanyeol’s knuckles. “I always knew you were destined for greatness, Yeollie, and it’s right across the horizon.” He smiled. “You know exactly what decision needs to be made.”

Chanyeol licked his lips. It was cute how much faith Baekhyun had in him. It was true that his gut was telling him to go to Jongin and let Mara take her rightful place, but he couldn’t tell if that was self-interest or not. “I know what I want to do, but I don’t know if it’s right.”

“If it’s what your gut is telling you, it’s right. You know why I think so?” Baekhyun touched Chanyeol’s neck, right where he told him the Vilicus drew ichor from his blood. “Because the gods chose you. They might have left us behind, but they gave us you in their place. So now… do you know what you have to do?”

For a few painful moments, Chanyeol stayed silent, his head hung and hair casting a shadow over his face. But ever so slowly, he began to nod. Then he rose to his feet abruptly, chair falling to the ground. He squeezed Baekhyun’s still intertwined hand. “I’m going to go take a shower.”

~

Baekhyun gathered the rest of Shadow in Noir’s cockpit and recanted the story of Chanyeol’s travels. He saved the part of their next step for Chanyeol himself to reveal once he got out of the shower, but were in unanimous agreement. They wanted their Captain to be happy, and they were ready to do what it took to see that because that was what he would do for them.

The doors slid open only minutes after they finished talking, revealing Chanyeol. He was back in his leather jacket and ripped jeans. He shaved his stubble and ran a comb through his hair. Baekhyun beamed. “Welcome back, Captain.”

“What were all of you talking about?” he asked, taking his rightful place on Baekhyun’s left.

“You,” said Minseok.

“And how in  _ love  _ you are~” Sehun sing-songed.

“It was disgusting,” Kyungsoo chuckled. “What’s our next step, Cap’?”

“I was actually just going to ask about that.” Chanyeol placed his palm flat against Noir’s rusted metal walls. The walls that had housed him for the past handful of years, protected him from asteroids, bullets, and the sun’s rays. What he was about to say was going to hurt, but it had to be done. “Do you think Noir would hate us if we upgraded?”

Sehun’s eyebrows knitted. “You want to sell her?”

_ “Sehun,”  _ Baekhyun chastised. “We talked about this.”

“No. No, it’s a fine question. It doesn’t give me any pleasure either, but she hasn’t been flying right the past few days. She wasn’t made for trips in and out of the sun.”

“I don’t think we can afford ships that  _ are,  _ though.”

“Sehun, you’re forgetting the best part of all this. We’ve been given immunity.” Beom painted a sun onto Noir before she departed. It told everyone that the ship belonged to the Temple and whatever it and its passengers did was endorsed by them. Beom would be kicking himself once he realized Chanyeol he never should’ve given someone like Chanyeol a gift like that. “We can just take one.”

Sehun chewed on his cheek. “... will I get my own room?”

“Of course.”

“Oh thank the gods. I was going to kill myself if I had to listen to Minseok snore any longer.”

That comment earned him a slap on the back of the head, but he’d received so many at this point that he didn’t even flinch. 

“Why do we need a ship that can handle another trip into the sun?” Baekhyun knew the answer to his question. They all did. But they had to hear it from Chanyeol first, just to make sure he got his mojo back in its entirety. 

“Simple. We’re going back to the Temple.” Chanyeol smiled widely. Wider than he had smiled in a long time. That was all Shadow needed to devote themselves fully to whatever he was going to propose. When Chanyeol was passionate enough about something to smile like that, success was inevitable. “We’ve got a prince to save.”


End file.
